Guardian of Grace
by faithy waithy
Summary: Edward finds a young orphan in danger of being eaten by a vampire. With an urge to help the girl, he takes her home, but soon he has to send her away. What will the future bring for this girl? Psycho Vamp. Imprint. OCXOC Better than summary.
1. Chapter 1

Warm red liquid dripped down my face as the pale monster neared me. On the floor behind him lay mommy and daddy, their eyes closed and bodies unmoving. With a whimper, I backed away from the killer quickly, pushing against the hard wall that separated me from my freedom. The monster laughed at my action, hissing, "What's wrong, Pumpkin? Are you scared of me?" Whimpering, I nodded hard, my eyes wide with horror.

He laughed loudly, his bright red eyes looking at me with hunger. "Well don't worry, cutey... I'll make your death quick," he said, and came toward me calmly. With a scream, I ran past the mean man, out of the living room toward the kitchen. The monster laughed behind me, yelling, "I love it when they run. A good chase always brightens my day!" With a gasp, I quickly hid in the corner of the room, between the stove and the wall. I was five, so it was easy to squeeze into the small opening.

Soft footsteps approached me as I hid in my small spot. Covering my mouth and nose with my little hand, I closed my eyes hard, too scared to watch the monster approach. The monster laughed loudly, chiming, "Hide-and-seek is it? I use to love this game 200 years ago!" My eyes flew open in shock, and I backed farther into my corner, now scared more than ever. This guy was a monster who had been killing people for over 200 years. A slight whimper escaped me, and I quickly covered my mouth harder in horror.

The monster laughed, his footsteps approaching my hiding place in a quiet manner. "Come out, come out where ever you are," he whispered menacingly. Closing my eyes again, I cried in my head, 'Help', but I knew nobody would hear me. "Oh you silly little human. You can't hide from a vampire," he hissed. A moment later his hard cold hand grabbed my arm, and I screamed louder than I ever had before.

He laughed hard, pulling my small body out from my hiding place, and threw me hard on the ground, my hand making a snapping sound as it hit the floor. As my hand stung in intense pain, I broke into hard sobs, my head growing dizzy. The monster laughed loudly, and grabbed my brown hair, pulling me off the kitchen floor. "You have guts kid. I'll give you that," he hissed darkly, and then shoved me hard to the ground once more. This time my arm hit the tiles, and a loud crack was heard.

With a cry of pain I tried to get up, but the monster shoved me down on the floor with his bare foot. "Oh no you don't kid. We haven't finished our game yet," he chimed. Picking me up from the floor by my shirt collar, he forced me to look into hid horrible eyes, and hissed, "Lets have some more fun." With that, he dragged me out of the kitchen back into the living room, and dropped me on the carpeted floor.

With a grin, he sat down on my daddy's recliner, and grabbed the controller flipping the T.V on. Once he had it on some random channel, he looked over at me and hissed, "Get up!" With fear, I stood quickly, holding my arm as it ached in pain from being broken. The hand on that same arm was beginning to swell from it being broken as well. "Come here!" He ordered, his hand gesturing for me to come to him.

After a moment of not obeying him, the monster stood angrily, and grabbed my bad arm pulling me to the recliner. The pressure he put on my break was so painful, that I shrieked in pain, and tried to struggle out of his hold. "If you don't stop your childish behavior, I swear I'll kill you right now!" He yelled, his musical voice turning demon like. At once I froze up in horror, sobs escaping me as the monster picked up my shaking body and sat me beside him on the recliner. This was a big joke to him, wasn't it?

"That's a good girl," he teased, stroking my hair softly as if I were his pet. With a cry, I jerked my head away from him, but he growled at my move, and yanked my long hair back hard. With a loud scream, I struggled to get out of this monsters hold, but his arm immediately wrapped around my small body, restraining me. "Stop moving, or I swear you'll die a much more painful death than your parents!" he yelled, his hand pulling my hair back harder.

At once I fell quite, though my sobs seized to stop. The monster sighed and turned off the T.V, but made no motion as he sat there in silence. "Now child... I like to know the names of the people I feast on... So what is your name dear?" He waited for my answer to his question, but I held my lips tightly sealed, not daring to give in to this monsters wishes. Instead I screamed in my head, 'Please help me!! Someone! Anyone! Please!!'. But I knew my efforts were useless. No one was coming.

His cold hand suddenly trailed along my neck, and I froze as he moved my hair away from my shoulder. "It seems I won't be getting an answer from you anytime soon. So I'll just save you the trouble and forget the name," he hissed. Closing my eyes, I knew what came next, and sure enough his cold breath was felt on my shoulder. "Though I must say, it would have been quite pleasant to know your name, sweet child," he whispered softly in my ear.

With that, he opened his mouth on my shoulder, his teeth getting ready to dig into my skin. Getting ready to kill me like my parents. It didn't seem fair though, that I was only allowed such a short life. "This will be a wonderful dessert," he whispered, and his teeth touched my skin. Without resisting, I screamed loudly, though I knew it would do no good. 'Good-bye world'.

A loud growl was suddenly heard across the room, and the monster that held me let go abruptly, making me fall to the carpeted floor hard. "Leave the girl alone," a velvet voice hissed, almost sounding threatening. A growl came from the monster, and he hissed, "Who are you to try and claim my dinner?"

The velvet voiced man hissed, "Your worst nightmare." A growl was then heard a moment later, and a loud smash was then sounded. Screaming in fear, I pressed my face into the carpet below me, horrified of what was taking place around me. A hand grabbed my head, but just as quickly released it, and my head hit the floor hard. Soon unconsciousness took over me, and I was taken into peaceful darkness.

**Edward POV**

It was around ten at night, and I had just finished my hunt. Satisfied, I turned to head back home, when a loud scream was heard in the distance. Freezing where I stood, I turned to the direction of the scream, shocked that a life form was out here in the middle of nowhere. Confused, I tried to hear the thoughts coming from the owner of the scream, and was shocked by what I heard.

_Hide. Just hide and he won't find me. No, he's a monster. Monsters always find there prey. Footsteps! No. He's coming. Don't find me. Don't find me._

That was all I need to hear. In no time I was running toward the owner of the thoughts, eager to save whoever they belonged to. As soon as i hit less than two miles of the thoughts, I smelled it. Vampire... It was a vampire who was attacking the person. And for some odd reason, I felt drawn to save whoever was about to be this monsters dinner. 'Help!' The thoughts hit me like sharp knives, and I began to speed up at the sound of these horrified thoughts.

In no time I arrived at a small winter cottage in the woods, where the smell of death flowed through like a hard mist. Crying could be heard from inside, while the monsters laughter followed. Approaching the small cottage, I stopped at the treeline where the cottage opening came into place. Holding my breath, I listened to what was happening inside.

"If you don't stop your childish behavior, I swear I'll kill you right now!" A dark voice hissed from inside, and hard sobs came like bullets from inside the cottage. By the pitch of the sobs, I knew at once this was a young girl, no more than four or five. "That's a good girl," the monster teased, and I watched in his mind as he patted the young brown haired girl on the head like a dog. Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to growl at this monsters cruel treatment.

A sound of a T.V being turned off sounded, and shortly after the monster hissed, "Now child... I like to know the names of the people I feast on... So what is your name dear?" The girl said nothing, though her mind was screaming, _Please help me! Someone! Anyone! Please!!_

If my heart were alive, it would have been pained to hear that poor girls pleas. With rage, I stalked toward the house swiftly, trying to be as quiet as I could. As I reached the side of the cottage, I heard the cruel creature hiss, "It seems I won't be getting an answer from you anytime soon. So I'll just save you the trouble and forget the name. Though I must say, it would have been quite pleasant to know your name, sweet child."

It took me allot of effort to keep from growling right then and there, but I contained myself, stalking toward the front of the cottage as quietly as I could. "This will be a wonderful dessert," the monster chimed, and I heard the girl whimper as the monster prepared to take her life. It was only when the girl screamed loudly, that I made my move, and rushed through the front door of the cottage as fast as I could.

The filthy monster was there, in the living room seated on a recliner, restraining a five year old brunette in his arms. The girl struggled in his hold, as the monster prepared to dig his stone teeth into her skin. A growl escaped me at once, and the vampire gasped in shock, dropping the girl on the ground without thought. The monster stood, his red eyes wild as he hissed in his head, _There is no way in the world I'm sharing my dinner!_

The black haired monster reached down for the girl, but I rushed over to him and grabbed his arm in a death grip. "Leave the girl alone," I threatened, giving his arm a hard squeeze. He gritted his blood stained teeth, and hissed, "Who are you to try and claim my dinner?"

With a smile, I whispered menacingly, "Your worst nightmare." He growled, and went to punch me, but I was already ahead of him. In one quick movement, I had him flying through the air, and smashing into the wall. As he fell to the floor, pieces of plaster followed him, and scattered all around. The beast growled, and jumped up quickly, turning to me in fury. Grabbing the T.V beside him, he threw it at me hard, hoping to distract me. As I dodged the flying T.V, I saw him grab the terrified girls hair, and begin to lift her from the floor.

With a vicious growl, I pushed forward and shoved the monster from the child, making him slam into the wall hard. The girls thoughts went silent, and I turned to her in shock, only to find she was unconscious with blood dripping down her forehead. The smell had no effect on me, as I remembered my task ahead. Destroying this beast once and for all. Looking back at the monster I had pinned to the wall, I saw him stare at me with rage.

"You have no right to take my dinner!" he hissed, going for a snap at my neck. Pulling away quickly, punched him hard in the jaw, his body smacking into the wall behind him hard. As he held his dislocated jaw, I grabbed hold of his neck, which caused him to look at me with horror.

"You listen you piece of filth," I hissed, my mind wanting nothing more than to kill this murderer in front of me. "You either leave the girl and I and go dine else where, or I'll tear you to unbelievably small pieces, and burn each and every one to a crisp. Choose wisely," I hissed, squeezing his neck harder than ever before. The vampire stared at me in horror, and chocked, "Alright! She's yours! The girls yours!" Releasing him, I growled, and he at once took off, leaving the cottage in horror.

After making sure he was out of thought range, I turned back to the object of my fight, and walked over to the unconscious girl cautiously. With a hard sigh, I crouched down beside her, and carefully rolled her over on her back. Getting a clearer view of the girl, I saw she was only about 3 feet (small for her age), with dark brown hair, and slightly pale skin. In my observation I also noticed her arm was broken along with her hand. With a sigh, I carefully picked up the injured child, and placed her on the couch as gently as possible.

Leaving her, I searched the kitchen quickly for a first aid kit, and found one fast. Returning to the bleeding child, I went straight to the sofa, only to find it was vacant. That was when I heard sobs behind me, and I turned in shock to see the young girl, crying over a woman's lifeless body. So that's where the smell of death was coming from.

Putting the kit down, I approached the terrified sobbing girl, and slowly crouched beside her. "Hey..." I whispered, trying not to startle the child. She gasped, and looked up from her mother's dead body (I think), and backed away from me quickly. That only made her cry out in pain however, and clutch her arm in tears. "No. It's okay... I'm not going to hurt you kid," I whispered, standing slowly so I didn't startle her.

Her blue eyes followed me, now more curious than scared. _Gold eyes? Does that mean he's an angel? _If this wasn't such a crisis, I would have laughed by this child's thoughts. "Come here," I whispered, reaching my hands out toward her. She hesitated, biting her lip, but eventually she stood slowly. Staring at me cautiously, the young girl approached, but at the last foot she ran into my arms, quickly sobbing into my shirt.

As she hugged me hard with her one good hand, I couldn't resist the urge to hug this child back. She was so small, so innocent, and so mysterious. _My guardian angel_, the young girl thought. A smile pulled on my face, and I slowly picked up the young girl, holding her carefully in my arms. Holding her, I brushed a bloody strand of hair out of her face, and whispered, "What's your name child?"

Her blue eyes stared into my own intently, and she whispered softly, "Grace." Smiling, I brushed the girls tears away, and whispered softly, "How would you like to go home with me Grace?" She stared at me confused, and looked over at her dead parents on the floor. With a painful nod, the girl placed her head back on my shirt, and broke into soft cry's, saying in her head, _Anything to get out of here._

With a sigh, I carried her back over to the couch, and quickly set to mend her injuries. Once I had her small arm and hand wrapped in gauze, the cut on her head bandaged (just enough to get to Carlisle), and the rest of her cuts cleaned up, I grabbed the blanket on the couch and wrapped her tightly in it. "I need you to do me a favor Grace," I whispered. She looked up at me with a confused look. "I need you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them again."

She was confused, but she did as I said, and closed her eyes tightly. With a smile, I picked up the girl and held her close to me. She whimpered by the pain in her arm, but fell quiet when she soon fell asleep in my hold. With a sigh, I turned and ran out of the house at vampire speed, then rushed across the dark forest back toward Forks.

When I arrived back at the mansion, I wasn't one bit surprised to see Alice already running out of the mansion, eyes full of excitement. "I saw everything Edward! Are you going to keep her?" she asked in a jumpy manner.

"She's not an animal Alice. I only brought her here for Carlisle to look at. After that were going to take her straight to the cops," I said, walking past Alice into the house. Alice followed whining, "Why? She seems to trust you more than anything in the world. Your her guardian angel!" With a hard sigh, I stopped and turned to Alice annoyed. "You know we can't keep her Alice. With Bella being a new born and all, it's just not safe," I whispered.

Alice pouted, but left me to go find Carlisle. _In my study, Edward. _Carlisle thought from upstairs. With a sigh, I ran upstairs and quickly went into Carlisle's study. He met me at the door, and took the girl from my arms carefully. As soon as the girl left my arms, she awoke with a gasp, and stared at me in shock. Then her eyes looked over at Carlisle and at once the water works came to play.

As her cry's came out, Jasper's thoughts flowed into my mind, _We'll you take her back already Edward. All that emotion is driving me insane._

Sighing, I took the girl back from Carlisle, and she at once fell silent in my hold. "Well... It looks like the girl has taken a liking to you," Carlisle said, a smirk on his face as he walked toward the desk in his study. Shaking my head in disbelief, I looked back down at the young child in my arms, only to see she was fast asleep, dreaming away._  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Grace POV**

It had been a whole week since my guardian angel had brought me to his home, and I loved it here. My angel, Edward, had the most amazing family in the world. He had an awesome true love named Bella, and a beautiful daughter named Renesmee. Then he had a mommy and daddy who were Carlisle and Esme, along with four amazing brothers and sisters. My favorite out of the group, despite Edward, had to be Jasper, because he always made me feel happy, no matter what my mood was. My second favorite was Alice, because she was so much fun. We'd play Princess together, and she'd show me all of her amazing dresses. Then there was Emmett. He kinda scared me a little, but he was a really funny guy once you got to know him. And finally there was Rosalie, who I avoided as much as I could. She wasn't mean to me or anything, but she just scared me.

So here I was, seated in Edward's huge living room, watching _The Land Before Time_, which was one of my favorite movies. Renesmee sat beside me, her eyes watching the movie in front of us in a bored way. After a moment of watching Little Foot and his friends run from a Sharptooth, Nessie yelled, "Why did they leave home if all their going to run into is a Tyrannosaurus-Rex! It makes no sense!"

With a sigh, I whispered, "It's not a Tywonasowas. It's a Sharptooth." Renesmee stared at me in disbelief, but sighed and sat back on the sofa with a pout. "Sure Grace. Whatever you say," she muttered. Smiling in satisfaction, I turned my attention back to the T.V, glad I helped Nessie understand.

Nessie's best friend Jacob suddenly entered the room, and Nessie jumped off the couch running into his huge arms. "Hey Ness," he said, pulling her on his back for a piggyback ride. "What were you watching?"

Biting my lip, I said, "Were watching Land Before Time." Jacob smirked and said, "Land Before Time huh? I use to watch that movie while babysitting Claire."

With a smile I chimed, "Then you can watch it with me!" Jacob at once looked wary, and said, "Uh... Thanks for the offer Grace. But I'm taking Ness out for a walk." Nessie nodded her head, and said, "You can tell me about it when we get back." After that they left quickly, and after a few minutes, I began to think they were making an excuse to get away from me.

With a sigh, I slid off the couch and walked toward the dinning room, where Edward and the others were talking. As I got closer to the doorway, I froze however, when I heard my guardian angel say my name. "Look guys... I know you all have taken a liking to Grace. But she isn't safe here. One slip up, and she could be one of our meals without us realizing it," Edward said, his voice sounding broken.

"That's true. And let's not forget Bella is only a four year old new born. She could get hungry one day and take the closest human she finds," Rosalie said, her voice sounding slightly bored. A throat cleared, and Carlisle said softly, "You all know that it is not a good idea for a human to be around a house full of vampires. Now Edward and I are well under control. But the rest of you aren't that good at controlling yourselves... Especially you Bella."

Alice spoke next, her voice sounding sad, "But we could learn to control ourselves Carlisle. Grace is a very brave and smart girl. If she can out run some killer vampire, I'm pretty sure she can outrun one of us."

_Vampire... Edward and his family aren't monsters. Right?_

Esme spoke this time, and she sounded sad. "Carlisle's right Alice. Grace is such a small girl. If anyone of us were to lose it in anyway, who knows what would happen to her. I think giving her over to foster care is the best choice right now," she said, her voice breaking. _Foster Care? Doesn't that mean..._

My eyes flew open in shock, and I backed away from the door in tears. This couldn't be happening to me. My guardian angel was sending me away!

"Grace..." Edward was suddenly in front of me, his gold eyes sorry.

"Yo- You're going to send me away!" I cried, tears flowing down my face. Edward sighed, and pulled me into his arms, hugging me hard against him. "Please Grace. Don't cry," he whispered, picking me up in his arms and holding me tightly.

With sobs, I cried, "You can't make me go! I don't want to leave you Edward." Edward kept quiet as I wept into his shirt, though his stone cold hand stroked my hair softly. He pressed his face into my hair, shushing me softly, and whispered painfully, "I'm really sorry Grace."


	3. Chapter 3

**Grace POV **

**_10 years later_**

My alarm buzzed loudly, the sound ringing in my ears hard. With a sigh, I searched tiredly for the snooze, my head still buried in my pillow. Like magic, the annoying alarm shut off without my effort, and I sighed falling back to peacefulness. After a moment though, the warm blanket keeping me safe from the world, was yanked off of me leaving a cold air to flow on my skin. Groaning, I shoved my face harder into my pillow, dreading today more than anything.

"Grace! Get up right now, or you'll be late for your foster parents!" My social worker May scolded, pulling the pillow out from under me. Groaning, I rolled over on my back, and stared at the ceiling above me. May sighed, and said, "You have twenty minutes young lady. If your not done by then, then I'm seriously considering punishing you!"

'From what?' I thought in my head, rolling my eyes as I heard May leave the room annoyed. As soon as the door to my small bare room closed, I got out of bed with a sigh, and walked over to my torn duffel bag with tired eyes. Taking out some clean clothes, I got dressed slowly, not really caring what I was putting on. When I finished, I walked slowly to the small bathroom connected to my room, and walked up to the sink.

Looking in the mirror, I stared at my slightly pale face, and used a wet rag to wipe the dirt away. When I finished I did my teeth and other things, and then moved to my hair. Picking up the old brush I used for my shoulder length brown hair, I easily brushed through it, the soft strands of hair easily separating through each stroke. Once I had my hair decent, I put all my toiletries in my bag, though I knew I'd be back in this exact same room days from now.

Looking around the small room I shared at May's house, I sighed hard, and picked up my duffel bag. Before I left the room, my hand trailed up to the deep scar on my forehead, that I had had for the past ten years of my life. If only I could go back to ten years ago, before anything had ever happened. At least go back a day before my parents death, and warn them that going to the cottage for Christmas was a very bad idea.

"Grace! Come downstairs and eat your breakfast! We need to leave in at least ten minutes!" May yelled from downstairs. Biting my lip, I tried to keep the tears in as I left the small room, and made my way down stairs to the kitchen. Arriving in the small kitchen area of the house, I walked over to May's wooden table, and took a seat where a plate of eggs was already set.

May came into the room, and placed a coffee cup in front of me, saying softly, "Black Coffee, nothing added." With a soft sigh, I said a sad, "Thanks," and picked up my white coffee cup, taking a sip. As the warm flavored water trailed down my throat, my body began to warm up and my soul lightened just enough to get through the day.

After a moment of silence, and not touching my food, I looked up at May with hidden emotion. "Where am I going this time?" I asked softly, staring at the thirty year old woman in front of me, who was sipping her coffee with a smile. She placed her coffee down, and smiled, her eyes bright with excitement, "Oh Grace... You'll love it where your going. The town is really nice, and I hear the school is great. Not to mention there's an amazing beach where you can go gather seashells and make bonfires. I have a feeling you'll love La Push." She stopped talking, waiting to see my reaction. But I held no emotion.

"Oh... Okay," I whispered, taking another sip of my coffee. Silence fell between the two of us, and I tapped the side of my coffee cup with my nail. After a moment, May asked, "Aren't you going to eat, Grace?" She asked, concerned by my lack of food intake. Sighing, I took another sip of my coffee, shaking my head to answer her question. May let out her own sigh of frustration, and shook her head in disbelief.

Placing her coffee cup down on her table, she scooted her chair up, and looked into my blue eyes intensely. "Look Grace. I know all this constant moving and everything is really getting you down. But... Not eating isn't going to solve anything," she said, her face turning serious. Shaking my head, I took a longer sip of my coffee, eager to get out of this place. "Grace!" May scolded, standing up in frustration. "It is my responsibility to take care of you, and so in doing that, I will in no way let you become anorexic.

Placing my coffee cup down emotionless, I looked at the steaming eggs in front of me, and decided I might as well. With a hard sigh, I took my fork off the table and began to dig into the warm food, eating only small bites at a time. It satisfied May however, because she smiled and said, "Thank you, Grace." Finally I finished at least half my plate, and May took it from me somewhat satisfied.

"Why don't you head on out to the car dear. I'll meet you out in a few minutes," May said, carrying my plate into the the kitchen area. Sighing for the twentieth time, I stood and grabbed my bag tossing it over my shoulder, then left the house silently making my way to the driveway. As I went, my hand found the necklace I had had for ten years, and I closed my eyes whispering, "I miss you Edward."

Once I made it to the car, i hid the gold necklace under my sweater, then leaned against the car bored. A soft rain began to fall, which was normal for a day like this in Seattle Washington. May approached a moment later, brief case in hand, as she unlocked the car door for me. On cue I threw my bag in the back of the car, and then took my seat in the front solemnly. May did the same, by putting her brief case in the back, and then taking her seat behind the wheel.

Before I could count to ten, we were on the road, heading toward my temporary home. As we drove there, my mind went back to the day I was being sent away from my angel, and forced to go live through a life of nothing but sadness.

I could remember the day like it was yesterday.

_Sitting on the porch step of the giant house, I held my small bag close to me, waiting for the stranger to take me away from my guardian angel. Edward sat beside me, a duffel bag in his hand as he stared out across the drive in thought. Biting my lip, I leaned against Edwards side, careful not to move my broken arm. Edward felt me lean against him, and he wrapped an arm around me, telling me it was all going to be okay._

_After a moment of silence between us, Edward silently dug into his jean pocket, and pulled something gold out of it. If the sun had been out, the fine necklace would have shined like diamonds. "Here Grace... I went to the store the other day and bought this. It's just a little something to help you remember me by," he whispered, showing the gold locket to me in his pale hand. With sadness I whispered, "I'll always remember you, Edward. You're my guardian angel."_

_Edward sighed beside me, but said nothing as he gently put the necklace around my neck. Once he was finished, I quickly clutched the locket with my good hand, and enjoyed the cool metal against my skin. At that moment, a black car pulled up into the Cullen's driveway, signaling that it was time to go. Trying to hold in my tears, I grabbed my bag and stood, Edward following suit. Before I had taken one step toward the car, Alice ran out of the house quickly, and pulled me into a hard hug, crying dry sobs. "I'm really going to miss you, Gracy!" she cried, and I broke into tears, not wanting to leave my sister._

_My angel however broke us up, saying softly, "It's time to go Grace." With one final good-bye to Alice, I turned toward the car, only to find a lady about twenty, walking up to me with a much rehearsed smile._

_Edward took my bag from my hand, replacing it with his hand, and walked down the porch to meet the approaching lady. The lady went straight up to Edward, saying, "You must be Mr. Cullen. My name is Ms. Davis and I work with social services. I believe we talked last night." Edward smiled back kindly, and said, "Yes... It's nice to meet you mam." They shook hands carefully, and then pulled apart with eagerness. As soon as their hands were apart, the lady looked at me, and smiled softly._

_"And I'm guessing this is little Grace?" she asked, smiling down at me. Edward smiled lightly and said softly, "That's her." Ms. Davis nodded, and then directed Edward to take my bags to the trunk of the car. After he did that and returned, Ms. Davis went to get something out of her car, leaving me and Edward alone. As soon as she was out of ear distance, Edward crouched down to my eye level and asked, "You remember what we talked about?"_

_Nodding slowly, I whispered, "Be brave, and don't lose hope." Edward smiled, nodded, and then whispered, "And don't ever forget this family." With that he leaned forward and kissed my forehead lightly, then stood to his full height and said, "I'm really going to miss you Grace." Ms. Davis suddenly returned, handing a piece of paper to Edward and saying, "Here's my number. If you need to call, don't be afraid to." Edward nodded, and looked back at me, his face pained. _

_"Take care Grace," he whispered, placing his hand on my head softly. In tears, I gave Edward one last hug, and whispered, "I'm going to miss you guardian angel." Edward closed his eyes, as if he were holding in much needed tears, and whispered, "I'll miss you too, little Grace." With that we parted, and I was driven away from my protector, hero, and angel. "Good-bye Edward," I whispered, on single tear sliding down my cheek._

Wiping away a stray tear, I looked out the window beside me, watching as dark green forest rolled by in a never ending pattern. As rain pelted the window, I watched as the small drops of water slid down the glass, and disappeared to the road below. "How much longer?" I asked, lying my head against the cool glass in boredom. May sighed, and said softly, "Not much longer. Only another ten minutes or so. We've already gone through Forks, though you were to dazed to notice."

Letting out a deep breath, I asked, "What are the names of the people fostering me?" Silence fell in the car, and I stared at May warily, concerned by her lack of an answer. "They are fostering me, right?" I asked, now worried by her silence.

May let out a hard breath, and whispered, "Their names are Jared and Kim Tinsel, and their both young. Their still in their late twenties, and seem like really nice people. But..." She broke off, her thoughts going miles away.

At once I grew eerie, and said, "But...?"

May let out a hard sigh and whispered, "Look Grace... Sometimes in life, their are some woman out there who don't have the ability to bear children. With Kim this is a case. So Jared and Kim are hoping that... if things go well this week... that they can adopt you and finally have a full family." My eyes widened in horror, and I cried, "They want to adopt me!"

May let out a hard breath, and shook her head in disbelief. "When were you going to tell me this?" I asked, my blood boiling with fury.

May shot me a stern look and said, "That's enough Grace. You knew one of these days you would have gotten adopted, and your going to have to deal with it if and when it happens."

With a sigh, I looked out of my window again, trying hard to keep the tears in that wanted so badly to come out. As more silence fell between us, I let one stray tear fall, but quickly wiped it away, hiding the evidence just like that.

Twenty minutes passed by in a flash, and in no time we were passing an old wooden sign that read, _La Push Reservation: Home to the wolf. _Shocked I looked over at May and asked, "There aren't really wolves here, are there?" May jumped when I spoke, but quickly regained herself and whispered, "I hear there's a few around these parts. But I don't think anyone's gotten hurt by one yet."

At once I smiled, now excited about what lied ahead. Ever since I had been separated from Edward, monsters had always been an excitement of mine. Deep down, I really hoped I'd see one of these wolves in the near future.

The car suddenly pulled into a rocky driveway, which led to a small cottage buried deeply in an area full of forest. As May pulled up behind a blue pickup, the front door to the wooden cottage opened, and a very tall man stepped out, an average sized woman following behind. May turned off the car with a smile, and was the first one out, walking toward the couple in her business like manner.

Biting my lip hard, I got out of the car painfully, and grabbed my duffel bag from the back as routine. Closing the car door, I turned toward the eager couple in front of me, and made my way toward them. As soon as I approached, May introduced me to the two people quickly. "Mr and Mrs. Tinsel, I'd like you to meet Grace. Grace, this is Jared and Kim," May said, pushing me slightly closer to the tall, short black haired native dude, and the kind looking long black haired lady.

"Hello Grace. It's great to finally meet you," Jared said, holding his hand out for me to shake. Hesitantly, I took his huge hand, only to find is was warm... Too warm. Kim stepped forward then, and held out her own hand, saying, "Yes... We're very happy to have you here, Grace." With a small smile, I took her russet hand into my own, and and said, "Thanks."

May patted my shoulder suddenly, and said, "Well, I guess I'll leave you all to get to know each other. I'll be back in a week to check on progress, but until then, I bid you all good luck." With that, she said her good-byes, shot me a kind smile, and then left toward her car with a look of relief on her face. Once we were alone, Jared said, "Why don't we go inside, and get you settled in Grace?"

Biting my lip, I whispered, "Okay," and began to make my way toward the door to the cottage. Kim walked beside me, her hand on the small of my back as we approached the door. Once we got inside the small cottage, my breathing stopped as I stared at the beautiful room in front of me. The living room we had just walked in, was the most beautiful scenery I had ever laid eyes on. As soon as you walked in, you were greeted by a lush carpet full of elegant forest like designs. The sofa was a nice brown wicker sofa, with a blanket of a wolf spread out across it. The wooded walls were full of pictures of native arts, and magnificent wolves. Over all, the living room was homey and really peaceful.

"Wow," I whispered, walking into the room in awe. Over all my years, I had only been in one living room that was this amazing. That living room belonged to my angel. "You like it?" Kim asked, excitement in her voice. My only response was a small nod of my head, and a soft, "Yeah. It's beautiful."

Jared suddenly approached and said, "Here. I'll take your bag while Kim directs you into the kitchen. Maybe we can get you some lunch too." Shocked, I looked at a clock hanging in the room, and saw it was already noon. "Oh. Okay," I whispered, handing my bag over to Jared. He left the room as soon as he had it, and left Kim and I alone.

"Come on Grace. The kitchens this way," she said, taking my hand and pulling me through a doorway into another room. This room was only 1/3 of the living room, with a nice wooden table against the wooden wall, and a wooded kitchen area. "You like the outdoors?" I asked softly, trying to make conversation. Kim smiled and said, "Yes. Me and Jared practically live outdoors."

She then pulled me over to the kitchen table and forced me to sit in one of the three chairs. After she took her own seat, and Jared came back from putting my bag away, the questions began.

"So Grace... How old are you dear?" Kim asked kindly, her eyes full of interest. Tracing a finger along the wooden tables design, I whispered softly, "I'm fifteen." Jared chuckled at this and said, "You don't look fifteen." Smiling lightly, I whispered, "I'm small for my age."

Kim changed the subject fast, asking my interest's. With a lot of thought, I said, "Well... I like to read. And sometimes I'll draw." Kim perked up at this, and asked, "What do you draw?"

At once I fell silent, a blush pulling on my cheek as I remembered the journal in my duffel bag, overflowing with pictures of _him_. "Just whatever comes into my mind," I answered, a blush pulling on my cheeks.

Jared suddenly said, "Alright, it's my turn to ask a question. What's your favorite animal?" His question took me off guard for a moment, but I answered with a blush, "I like the wolf. That's probably why your living room was so fascinating to me."

Jared seemed to really like my answer, because he gave me a huge smile. "Well then. You came to the right place," he said, his voice filled with excitement. Kim sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What?" Jared asked, confused by Kim's reactions. She waved him off, muttering, "Only you Jared. Only you." She then looked back at me, and asked, "Anyway, what's your favorite color?"

"Gold." I answered straight away, my mind thinking of my angel at once. Jared froze in front of me, his eyebrows furrowing as he took this in. "Gold? Why gold? Most girls your age prefer pink or purple," he stated, his eyes looking wary. I was about to answer him, but something struck my mind hard, and I froze. Looking at Jared confused, I said, "You look like someone I use to know."

Jared was caught off guard by my words, and asked, "Who would that be?" Staring at Jared more intently, images of Nessie's friend Jacob flowed into my mind, and thoughts of the old days began to flood back. "Uh... Just this guy named Jacob. You look a lot like him," I whispered with a shrug. Jared and Kim shot each other a look of shock, but before they could ask I said, "Can I go for a walk? Maybe go check out the beach?"

Kim hesitated, then smiled softly saying, "Sure Grace... But I'm going to call a friend because I don't want you going alone. The forest isn't very safe to walk through these days." Nodding, I said, "That's fine. I just need to get out of the house for a little bit."

Kim got up to give her friend a call, leaving me and Jared alone at the table. As we sat in silence, I saw Jared staring at me hard, as if he was trying to figure out something. Kim suddenly returned, saying her friend would be here in a few minutes. Then she looked at me concerned, and asked, "Can I get you some lunch before you go?"

Staring at the wall beside me, I whispered, "We got some lunch on the way here." Kim and Jared stared at me shocked, but otherwise let it go. Sighing, I clutched the locket around my neck, wondering if Edward was still out there. If my guardian angel was still watching over me.


	4. Chapter 4

The guy standing in front of me looked more like Jacob than Jared. His hair was chin length like Jacobs, and his age was close to Jacobs age from ten years ago. The only thing different was his deep brown eyes, who weren't as dark as Jake's last time I saw him. "Hey. My name's Seth. You must be Grace," the huge guy said, holding his giant hand out toward me. Faking my best smile, I took his hand which was very warm. Once we pulled apart, Jared came up to Seth and whispered something inaudible into Seth's ear. He grinned wildly and nodded, then turned back to me.

Without saying anything, Seth grabbed my hand eagerly and pulled me outside into the moist world. "Have fun!" Kim called behind us, and I heard Jared yell, "Good luck Seth." At once I grew wary, looking back over at Jared and Kim confused, but the door was already closed to the cottage. With a sigh, I took my hand from Seth, not liking the feeling of being touched. Seth shrugged it off, though he sent me a wary glance.

Once we got onto the main road, and began to walk along the edge of the woods, the talking began. "So Grace, your fourteen right? I think little Claire's close to your age. Maybe we'll see her at the beach today," he said, his voice trailing off as he broke of into thought. Biting my lip, I looked off into the forest next to us, my mind flying back to the past. The last time I had been this close to a forest this big, was when I lived at the Cullen's house.

At once I shook the memories out of my head, not wanting to have a mental breakdown. Seth shot me another wary glance, so I looked at the ground below me, trying to hide my emotions. "So, Kim and Jared are your foster parents huh? I'm surprised they actually decided to sign up for the program," Seth said, sounding thoughtful.

With a sigh, I whispered, "They're thinking of adopting me." A small tear escaped my eye, and I quickly wiped it away so Seth wouldn't notice. It wasn't fast enough though, because Seth asked, "You don't want to be adopted... I would have thought most orphans would want a family." Staring off into the woods, I whispered softly, "Guess I'm not like most orphans." He remained silent as he walked beside me, taking in my words slowly. When he realized what I had said, he spoke softly saying, "Your right. You aren't like most kids."

He sped up after he said that, and I wanted to ask what he meant, but I kept my mouth tightly sealed. It took us a whole ten minutes of silence till we arrived at a small path going through the forest. "Were almost there," Seth said, beginning to go down the path in the trees. Hesitating, I followed him and we silently made our way through the forest trail. After a good mile, the trail broke apart, and my shoes touched wet sand. Looking up from the ground, I stared in front of me, surprised to see the pacific ocean in front of me.

"Wow..." I whispered, surprised by the beautiful waves hitting the sandy earth. Seth stared at me shocked, and asked, "Haven't you seen the ocean before?" Shaking my head, I quickly removed my shoes and socks, placing them by the tree beside me, and then I made my way down the beach, feeling the cool ocean breeze hit my skin.

Seth followed me, his eyes staring across the ocean bored. After a moment of silence, and just watching the waves crash against the shore, a loud yell sounded across the beach, and Seth turned to the intruder with a grin. Looking over across the sandy beach, I watched a very tall russet guy of twenty approach us, with short cropped black hair, and a muscular figure. Behind him a girl followed, her black hair flowing out from behind her. She looked to be about sixteen, with a very trim figure, and bright brown eyes.

"Hey guys!" Seth yelled, walking over to the approaching figures with a smile. He high-fived the native guy, and gave the girl a hug. They talked to each other, obviously forgetting I was only five feet away. Not really caring about their conversation, I walked toward the ocean in front of me, letting the foam from the wave hit my feet. It should have been cold, but I really didn't feel any discomfort.

"Grace!" Jumping, I turned my head to see Seth gesturing for me to come over. Sighing, I walked away from the water, making my way over to Seth and the two other people. Seth grinned widely when I approached, and said, "Guys, this is Grace. Kim and Jared are fostering her." The guy nodded his head to me, saying, "Names Quil. I'm surprised Jared finally gave in to Kimmy's wishes. Though I knew he'd have given in sooner later."

As he said this, I stared at the ground below me, my cheeks read with embarrassment. "Yeah... They seem really nice," I whispered. The girl suddenly spoke up, her face pulled into a huge smile, "Oh, they are! Jared and Kim are the best people in La Push! You'll learn to love them! My names Claire by the way."

She held out her hand eagerly, and I took it cautiously. She was confused by my motives, but shrugged it off and said, "So are you starting school tomorrow? I'm sure Kim and Jared have already signed you up for the semester. What grade would you be in anyway?"

Biting my lip, I stared off into the ocean, and whispered, "I'd be a freshman." Claire said a small 'darn', but she immediately brightened up. "Well we'll still have lunch together. You'll have to sit with us. I mean it's just me, Cat, Donna, Chris, Will, and John, but were still cool," she said, a smile on her face.

Nodding slowly, I whispered, "Sounds fun." Claire squealed and grabbed me into a hug, which immediately made me gasp. In truth, I hadn't been in hugged in almost ten years. So when Claire hugged me, it was kinda a knew experience for me.

"Alright Claire. Don't smother the poor girl," Quil said, pulling Clair out of my arms, and wrapping his own arms around her. Seth suddenly perked up and said, "You guys going to the bonfire Saturday?"

Quil shrugged, muttering, "I gotta... work. But I'm sure Claire might go." Claire nodded her head in response to Quil's words, and said, "Yeah. I'll be there."

The conversation had gotten boring now, so I looked back out toward the ocean, watching the waves come and go in a never ending pattern. Silence fell, and I turned to see Seth and the two others whispering softly to each other. Shaking my head in disbelief, I began to walk along the shoreline, dodging the water as it flowed toward. Then something very strange happened. My mind went completely blank, and a voice flowed through my head.

_It's such a shame your little golden eyed hero didn't want you. You've turned into such a beautiful girl._

A gasp escaped me, and I searched wildly for the owner of that deep musical voice, but I only saw Seth, Claire, and Quil, still talking softly amongst themselves. Shaking my head, I touched my scar in confusion, and whispered, "That was strange." Shaking my head again, I continued on my walk, watching the sand sink under my steps.

_So beautiful... And yet you still smell just as you did ten years ago. Like sweet honey._

At once I froze again, my eyes searching the forest behind me for some source of the voice. But the forest was empty as far as my eyes could see.

_Wrong way child. _

Turning my head slowly, I looked out into the ocean in horror, fearful by what I might see. By the time my eyes met the water, all I saw was something white sinking below in the distance, never coming back up. Shaking my head, my breathing became rigid, and I backed away from the ocean in horror. That voice? Where had I heard that voice from?

_...ten years ago. _Who had I met ten years ago? The voice definitely didn't belong to Edward, nor did it belong to anyone else in his family. So then, who?

In confusion, I turned back to where Seth and the others were, but what I saw shocked me. Seth and Quil were staring out into the ocean, their brown eyes set on something in the distance. Claire stood at a distance behind them, talking on a cellphone rapidly. Deciding I felt safer around Claire, I made my way over to her, and just managed to catch bits of her conversation.

"He was in the water... No. He was just floating there, like he was staring at something... No. Though it did look like he was looking in Grace's direction... Why would he come after Grace? She just got here. He wouldn't know her would he?" There was a pause, and Claire's eyebrows furrowed as she listened to the other person on the line. "Uh, alright... I'll let the guys know. See you later Paul."

With that she hung up, and turned in my direction, her mouth turning shocked. "Grace? How long were you standing there?" She asked, her eyes wary. Shrugging, I said softly, "Long enough." She bit her lip, her eyes growing more wary by the minute. The guys suddenly came back, looks of fury planted on their faces.

"What did Paul say?" Seth asked, taking the phone back from Claire.

Claire looked at me once more, her eyes searching my face for something, but then looked back at Seth. "Paul said to meet him at Billy's. He wants to have a small meeting, just the four of us," Claire said, looking at me apologetically. "Looks like we'll have to take you back home, Grace," she said apologetically. Shrugging, I said, "That's cool," and then turned making my way back to my shoes. Today was just too weird...

**Edward POV**

Ten years... That's how long it had been since the last time I had seen Grace. Playing on my elegant piano, my thoughts drifted to Grace. Where was she now? Did she finally find a family? With a sigh, I played a random song to try and get Grace out of my head, not wanting to dwell on the past. As much as I missed her, there was no hope in seeing her again.

Bella suddenly sat beside me, watching as I played the piano with a smile. She leaned against me elegantly, closing her eyes as the music played in the air. After a moment, Bella said softly, "Your playing Grace's lullaby. That means your thinking of her." It was shocking to hear Bella say this, because I didn't even know I was playing her lullaby. With a sigh, I whispered, "Sorry Bella. It's just, she was like a daughter to me." Bella nodded in understanding, and kissed me softly only the lips.

"You'll see her again Edward. Alice has already seen that," Bella whispered. With a sigh, I cut off the music and closed the piano lid, then turned to Bella with a soft smile. "You always come at the best time love," I whispered, and pulled her close to me, kissing her passionately on the lips.

A scream was suddenly heard, and me and Bella pulled away in shock, jumping up from the piano bench to see what had happened. Running into the living room of our new home in Coupeville, Washington, we stared in shock at Alice, who was on the floor with wide eyes. Trying to read her mind, I saw the vision she had just had, unfold before me.

_A girl of fourteen, who looked oddly similar to Grace, was on the forest floor bloody and bruised. Her forehead was covered in blood, while her arm looked broken. But what caught my eye the most, was the golden locket around her neck. My observation was cut short however, when a vampire who looked to have been twenty entered the room, his crimson eyes staring hungrily at the girl I now knew to be Grace._

_"Master we'll be here in a moment. He has to make sure your filthy mutts are still at the bonfire," the young vampire hissed, his hands clenched into hard fists as he stared at Grace hungrily._

_Grace closed her eyes in horror, tears flooding down her freckled cheeks. "Wha- what are you going to do to me? If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already," she whispered, her voice broken with sobs._

_The vampire laughed, brushing his blond hair out of his face. "Your smart for a human, I'll give you that. But if you must know, Antonio has a fascination with you... You see human. Your the first girl who has ever escaped him. He's been searching half the country for you, unable to find where that filthy Cullen sent you. Now that he's found you, he plans on making you his mate."_

_Grace's eyes opened in horror, and she whispered, "He's going to change me into a vampire?" The vampire nodded with a smirk, and hissed, "You'll be one of us soon, Grace."_

With shock, I closed my eyes in horror, unable to believe what I had just seen. Alice jumped up, sharing the same look I had. "Edward..." She whispered, her voice breaking slightly. Shaking my head, I asked through my teeth, "Where is she Alice?" Alice didn't answer, her face close to breaking into dry sobs. Jasper quickly came to Alice's side, pulling her off the floor and comforting her. "Alice?" I asked, my eyes growing desperate.

Jacob suddenly entered the room, Nessie trailing behind. "She's in La Push," he said, leaning against the wall absentmindedly. "Jared and Kim are adopting her," he muttered, his eyes staring down at the floor.

"La Push! That's only a few hours away from here! We could be there in no time, and get Grace to safety," Alice chimed, her eyes brightening with a new urge of excitement. Emmett and Rosalie entered at Alice's words, and Emmett asked, "Why do we need to get Grace to safety?" Carlisle and Esme entered behind them, their faces full of concern. Alice quickly explained to them the vision she had, while I thought up a plan in my head.

My gold eyes flickered to Jacob for a moment, and I smirked, "Hey Jacob?" Jacob stared at me warily, his eyebrow furrowing by my sudden amused face. "I've got a proposition for you," I said. Alice began to giggle, hopping up and down excitedly.

Jacob at once grew worried, and backed behind my daughter for precaution. "What do you say to going back to La Push for a while? Visiting your dad. Of course Nessie can go with you," I said. At once Jacob understood, and his face turned to shock. "You want me to go to La Push so I can babysit some orphan!" Nessie smacked Jacob scolding him for his rude comment, but I waved Nessie off, walking up to Jacob.

"Look Jacob... A vampire is after a human girl... Who happens to live in La Push. So forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't it your job to protect this girl?" I asked, knowing I had won. Jacob glared hard at me, and hissed, "You owe me!" Smiling, I said, "Thanks Jacob." His reply was a small, "Whatever."

Satisfied, I turned back to my family with more hope, "Alright. So Jacob will go down to La Push and watch over Grace for us. Meanwhile we'll scope out the area, and try to pick up this creeps scent." The whole family nodded, and I turned to Alice quickly. "Keep an eye on Grace Alice. I know she's with werewolves, but try to watch her whenever you get the chance," I said.

Alice saluted me, and the skipped upstairs most likely to pack. Jacob suddenly asked, "Exactly how do you think Grace will react when we see her again? I mean on the phone Jared sounded as if the girl was mentally unstable. Don't you think seeing us would only make her worse?"

"What do you mean, 'Mentally unstable'?" Carlisle asked, confused. Jacob shrugged and muttered, "Something about her not eating, and having this pained face all the time. Jared and Kim are close to taking her to a psychiatrist." At once I felt a twang of guilt in my heart. Had I really hurt Grace that bad, by sending her away?

With a sigh, I turned from my family, and whispered, "What have I done?" Bella immediately wrapped her arms around me, comforting me, but it was too late. The guilt was too much to bare. With a final look at my family, I whispered, "We leave tomorrow," then left the room, returning back to my piano, my dead heart feeling pained.


	5. Chapter 5

**Grace POV**

If I had one word floating in my head right now, then that word was this: Lame. Looking at the school in front of me, I felt as if I wasn't even at a school at all. In front of me was a brick building, that only looked to be able to hold 400 people. In the front of the school, strangers sprawled out on the wet grass, finishing up homework, or chatting to their groups of friends. The thing that caught my eye the most about all of these kids were, they were Quileute. All of them.

With a hard breath, I clutched my bag hard, suddenly regretting the feeling of only having an apple for breakfast. I shouldn't have had anything by the rate my stomach was going. "Oh come on Grace! La Push high school is one of the best schools I know. You'll love it here!" Jared promised, smiling at me encouragingly. Biting my lip, I nodded slowly, and got out of the car weakly.

"It's going to be fine Grace. I promise!" Jared exclaimed. Sighing hard, I turned and faked a smile. "Yeah Jared. I'll see you after school," I said, trying to sound happy. Jared stared at me concerned for a moment, but he forced a smile on his flawless face. "Alright. Have fun," he said. Closing the door to the car, I waved as Jared drove off, and then with a lot of effort, turned to my own personal hell. To my disbelief, every eye in the school yard was on me. The non-Quileute.

Taking in a deep breath, I made my way toward the door of the school building, clutching my shoulder strap to my book bag hard. Once I entered the small school, I went into the office which just so happened to be right at the entrance, and walked in numbly. A kind looking lady, with curly blond hair and a slim figure sat at a small desk, righting something on a yellow notepad. Standing in front of her, I looked at the floor, waiting patiently for her to finish.

"Oh! Can I help you?" Looking up, I saw the young woman's green eyes stare at me in shock. With a hard breath, I said softly, "My name is Grace Hawkins. My foster parents called the other day to register me." The lady's eyes pulled into surprise, and she said, "Oh! Your the newby in La Push. Half the locals are talking about you. Let me just go get your schedule and then I can take you to your first class."

She left the office area for a moment, going into a room in the back. Moments later she returned with a pile of papers, and directed me to follow her out of the office. Walking through the halls, I could feel more foreign eyes on me, and a blush fell on my cheeks. "So here's you schedule dear, and a map of the school. Though I'm sure you won't be needing that very long," the office lady joked, obviously insulting the tiny school. Taking my schedule, I muttered a small 'thanks', and then looked down at my classes as I followed the woman.

My classes were the same classes I always had. First, Language Arts, then following I had Math, and after that came Science and Social studies, all summing up to my final Encore classes: Art, Piano, and PE. With a sigh, I looked up at the lady in front of me, and continued to follow her to my first class. We arrived moments later, at a wooden door that was open. Walking in, I at once felt everyone's eyes on me.

The secretary woman walked up to my teacher I assumed, and said a few soft words to him. The man in his early thirties, with black hair and blue eyes nodded, and directed the woman out of the room. Then he made his way over to me, and asked, "Ms. Hawkins I presume?" Nodding my head, I stared at the floor nervously, not liking the sudden attention. "Well you can take a seat anywhere. Today we'll be starting on Romeo and Juliet, so it will be an easy day.

At once I knew my day was going to be awful. I had read R&J three times for school, and was beginning to hate it. With a sigh, I made my way through the rows of desks, and took a seat in an unoccupied one. A blond girl beside the desk glared at me and hissed, "That's John Uley's desk!" At once I looked at the desk, muttered a soft 'sorry', and went a desk back. The girls friends all giggled, which made me want to curl up into a tight cocoon.

Five minutes later, the bell for first period rang, and I quickly searched my book bag for a pencil and some paper. The door that had just been closed by Mr. Rosin suddenly burst open, and I looked up in shock to see a guy about 6 feet, with a guilty expression on his face. The girls in front of me giggled in that crush-on-a-boy kinda way.

"Mr. Uley! What did I say about being late?!" Mr. Rosin hissed, arms crossed in a stern manner. The extremely russet guy, with an amazingly built body, and really milky brown eyes immediately broke into a goofy, but amazing, grin. "Sorry Mr. R. It seems I got lost," he said, though I could tell there was double meaning to his words.

"_Lost _as in you were making out with another girl?!" Mr. Rosin asked annoyed. John smirked and said, "How'd you guess!"

"Just take your seat!" The teacher yelled, pointing to the seat in front of me. John grinned, and then turned to our row. At once I looked down at my desk, not wanting to meet the eyes of the hottest guy I had ever seen. As the guy sat in front of me, I couldn't help but look up at the guys back. He was unbelievably tall. It was a surprise he could fit in such a small desk.

Mr. Rosin soon started class, going over the plot of Romeo and Juliet in recited words. With a sigh, I placed my cheek in the palm of my hand, not really caring about the teachers lesson. It was all a refresher to me.

Finally, after a tiring 70 minutes, the bell sounded and students around me rushed to put there stuff away. With a hard breath, I grabbed the binder I had slipped out during class, and put it into my blue backpack idly. After I had it secure, I stood and threw my bag over my shoulder, then looked at my schedule to see what I had next. "Hello." With shock, I looked up from my schedule only to see a boy about my height, with brown hair and slightly tan skin.

The boy held out his hand saying, "My name's Jack. You must be the new girl from Seattle. Grace right?" Nodding, I took his hand saying a small 'hey', and then went to leave.

"Hey wait! What class do you have next? I could walk you there," he said, trying to be polite I suppose. Looking down at my schedule, I said, "Math with Mr. Greene." The boys eyes brightened, and he grinned as if he had just won the lottery. "I have that class next! What a coincidence!" he chimed, and then grabbed my hand eagerly, pulling me out of the classroom toward my next class.

As soon as we arrived, Jack pulled me into the classroom, and introduced me to the teacher right away. In some ways, this guy was making me uncomfortable. Luckily Mr. Greene's class didn't last long, which I was internally grateful for. The next few classes flew by like a breeze, though the hot guy John happened to be in my World History class, and sat only a few seats away from me. But finally lunch came, and I felt I could finally breath.

Walking into the cafeteria, I skipped the lunch line eagerly, and searched the room for Claire. It only took me a few moments to find her in this tiny cafeteria, and I approached the black haired girl eagerly. I was almost there, when I was rudely bumped into by a huge tree. With an 'Oof' I fell to the dirty floor, my book-bag falling beside me and spilling it's contents (How, I don't know). Giggle's and laughs sounded around me, but I tried to ignore them as best I could as I began to retrieve my belongings.

"Oh man! I'm sorry," _he _said, and bent down to help me retrieve my belongings. "It's okay," I whispered, not daring to meet his gaze.

"John you idiot! You practically ran her over!" Claire scolded, quickly helping me up from the floor. John quickly retrieved my packed bag, and said, "Oh shut it Claire-Bear. It's not like I intentionally wanted to run over your friend."

John extended my bag toward me, and I warily took it, not meeting his gaze. "Thanks," I muttered, pulling my book-bag on my back.

"Come on Grace. Let's get to the table before this idiot tries to run you over again," Claire muttered, pulling my dazed body over to the table of four other occupants. All of their eyes looked at me as soon as I sat at the table beside Claire. A small silence flew over the table, and I looked at the wood of the table self-consciously.

The bench shook under me, as John (I guessed) took a seat beside me. "Jeez John. You trying to kill the new girl already?" One of the guys at the table said. Looking up, I stared at a guy who looked slightly older than John, with ear length black hair, and light brown eyes. He saw me looking and winked at me, saying, "William. But every one calls me Will." Nodding, I said a small 'Hey', and then went to tracing the wood on the table.

"Oh guys! This is Grace! She's Jared and Kim's foster child," Claire said, nudging my shoulder softly. It seemed every one at the table was surprised by this. "No way! Kim finally got Jared to agree!" One girl, with dirty blond hair, and blue eyes exclaimed. "No dip, Cat," another girl muttered with black hair, and green eyes. She was leaning against another Quileute boy, with short cropped black hair, and filmy brown eyes. Kim soon introduced them as Donna and Chris, and explained to me they were a couple, just as Will and Cat were. It seemed John was the only one without a girl.

After a moment of introductions, Cat asked, "Aren't you going to eat Grace?" Looking around me, I saw everyone was eating food except me. Biting my lip, I thought of a quick cover up, and said, "I'm not hungry. Kim cooked me a pretty big breakfast." Claire shot me a look of disbelief, but let it slide.

"So John... We heard about this morning in Mr. Rosin's class. What's the consequence this time?" Chris asked, smirking. John grunted and said agitatedly, "He's making me serve a weeks worth of detention! My dad is going to tear me into tiny piece's and burn everyone of them!"

The whole table burst into laughter, and Will muttered, "Your not a bloodsucker idiot." Cat shot Will a dark look, smacked him on the back of the head, and then inclined her head toward me. But I was already in shock. "What's your problem with bloodsuckers?" I asked darkly, suddenly feeling the urge to defend Edward and his family. All eye's went to me, and Will and Chris stared at me with glares.

"You know about vampires?" Chris asked, his frame shaking slightly.

Biting my lip, I immediately regretted what I had done, and stared back down at the table self-consciously. "Grace! How do you know about vampires?" Will asked, his frame shaking as well.

John suddenly let out a bored sigh, and muttered, "Guys. If she doesn't want to tell us, then it's her funeral." My eyes went to John in horror, and I stared at his frowning flawless face. Just like magic, John met my gaze, and his face locked up in complete shock. Then his amazing brown eyes softened, and his frown turned into a light smile. At once I looked down horrified by what had just happened. John was actually smiling at me.

"John?" Will asked, his voice sounding shocked.

"You didn't man," Chris muttered, his voice crumpled in disbelief.

"Not on Grace!" Claire whined, hitting her head on the table.

The scene that pulled out in front of me was the most confusing thing I had ever seen. It was like something life changing had happened, in the short ten seconds John and I had met each others gaze. "Jared's going to kill you," Cat muttered, shaking her head in disapproval.

With annoyance, I yelled, "What is going on?!" The whole table looked at my confused face, before they all went back to eating their food, ignoring me and my presence. Although John was staring at me like an idiot, and his constant gaze made me wish that my parents murderer had taken my life ten years ago as well.

**John POV**

Here I was once more, making out with some random girl who had found an interest with me. Her name, I had no idea what it was, but hey; she was a really good kisser. As her hands began to move under my shirt, I moaned against her lips, enjoying her touch. Suddenly the bell rang loudly, and we both pulled apart disappointed. "Man..." the girl whined, and straightened out her blond hair.

She looked up at me in a seductive way, and purred, "See ya later John." Smirking, I said, "You two babe." She giggled, and then walked off to her class, fixing her shirt as she went. Shaking my head, I quickly wiped all traces of lipstick off, and turned making my way to my first period. Walking into the classroom, I was greeted by a very angry Mr. Rosin.

"Mr. Uley! What did I say about being late?!" his question only made me want to smirk. But instead, a huge goofy green broke out across my face.

"Sorry Mr. R. It seems I got lost," I said, remembering that hot blond I had just met this morning in the hall.

"_Lost _as in you were making out with another girl?!" he asked, his face looking annoyed. With a smirk, I chimed, "How'd you guess?"

He glared at me and hissed, "Just take your seat!" With a smile, I made my way toward my seat, though my eyes lingered on a girl behind my desk, who happened to be hiding her face from me by her long brown hair. Shrugging her off, I took my seat, ready for the teachers boring lesson. For some reason, I really wouldn't have minded patrolling right now.

Class went by quickly after that, though at the end Mr. R gave me a detention slip for an hour every day after school for this week. Jolly me. With a grunt, I shoved the slip in my pocket and made my way to my next class bored. The next class I had, Biology with Ms. White went by easily, though we had to dissect a frog which was utterly repulsive. But then in World History, I saw the same girl from my Language Arts class, sitting with her brown hair still hiding her face from me. For some reason, I was beginning to feel some gravity pull towards this creature.

Shaking my head, I listened to the teachers lame 70 minute discussion, till finally the amazing bell rang for lunch. If I wasn't already in trouble, I would have yelled 'Hallelujah'. With a sigh, I made my way to lunch, though every once and a while I'd wink at some girl as I passed. It was so cool that the whole girl population was pretty much head over heels for me.

Entering the lunch room, I went straight to the lunch line and got huge plate of random things. After I paid, I made my way over to my usual table. It was only when I waved at the blond girl from this morning, that I heard a 'Oof' sound, and looked down to see the girl from my first and third period, shaking her head dazedly on the floor. People around us giggled at my carelessness, and I rolled my eyes.

As the girl began to gather the books that slipped out of her bag, I suddenly felt a sudden desire to help her. "Oh man! I'm sorry," I finally managed to say, and bent down to help her gather her belongings. "It's okay," she said softly, her voice the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. She hid her face from me still, as she continued gathering her belongings.

Claire's footsteps suddenly approached, and she scolded me like my mom, "John you idiot! You practically ran her over!" Rolling my eyes, I finished packing the girls belongings, and stood with her bag. "Oh shut it Claire-Bear. It's not like I intentionally wanted to run over your friend," I muttered. Claire rolled her eyes, and stuck her tongue out at me. How childish!

With a sigh, I handed the girl back her bag, and she took it with a soft, 'thanks' still not meeting my gaze.

"Come on Grace. Let's get to the table before this idiot tries to run you over again," Claire muttered, shooting me an annoyed look. As her and the girl walked off toward the table, my thoughts wondered. Grace... Such a pretty name. But what caught my attention the most, was how she refused to meet my gaze. Why was that? Shaking my head, I made my way toward the lunch table, and sat beside the mysterious girl, my eyes trying hard to stare at her face. But it was shielded by her brown hair.

As the table introduced themselves to Grace, I looked down at my food, trying hard to understand why the girl refused to look at me. With a sigh, I looked up seeing every one staring at Grace confused. "Aren't you going to eat Grace?" Cat asked, and I followed her gaze to see Grace lacked food. "I'm not hungry. Kim cooked me a pretty big breakfast," she whispered, tracing her finger against the wood of the table. I could just vaguely hear Claire mutter a soft, "Sure," as if she didn't believe her.

At once the table decided to change the subject, and looked at me eagerly. Chris was the one to speak, and a huge smirk was planted across his face. "So John... We heard about this morning in Mr. Rosin's class. What's the consequence this time?"

With a grunt, I said, "He's making me serve a weeks worth of detention! My dad is going to tear me into tiny piece's and burn everyone of them!" Just the picture of my huge dad attacking me made me grimace.

The table laughed by my statement, and Will muttered, "Your not a bloodsucker idiot." As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Grace froze beside me, and her breathing went rigid. Then her hands clenched into fists on the table and her heart began to speed up. "What's your problem with bloodsuckers?" she said in a defensive way, as if she were in love with one.

Will and Chris were confused at first, but then their faces clenched into fury and Chris asked, "You know about vampires?" The girl beside me at once went quiet, her body tense and slightly shaking in fear. What was she so scared of?

"Grace! How do you know about vampires?" Will asked, his body beginning to shake as his transformation was about to go into play.

Annoyed by all this sudden tension, I said, "Guys. If she doesn't want to tell us, then it's her funeral." My words must have startled the girl, because at once I felt her horrified eyes on me. Taking this moment to meet her gaze, I did, and at once my world froze.

As my eyes met amazing liquid blue eyes, I at once felt time stop. No longer did I care about anything in life. I no longer cared about breathing, sleeping, or eating. All I cared about was this amazing creature in front of me, with skin that glowed in the light of the room, freckles that decorated her face in an elegant pattern, and a body that was only designed for an angel. But what met my eyes the most, was her amazing lips, that were so full of innocence, and looked so soft.

She was absolutely, the most beautiful girl I had ever laid my eyes on.

----------X----------

**Grace POV**

The bell for the end of school rung, and I closed the piano lid gently, then turned to grab my books. The teacher, Ms. Grayson approached me with a smile. "Where did you learn to play like that Grace?" The teacher asked as I stood with my bag firmly on my back. Biting my lip, I said softly, "It's something I learned over the years. Though I had some inspiration." My hand flew to my locket absentmindedly, and my mind wondered.

"Well Grace. I'm having a talent show in a few weeks. Maybe you'll think about playing for it," Ms. Grayson said thoughtful. Smiling, I said, "Sure. I'll think about it." She returned my smile, and then walked back over to her desk. With a sigh, I began to make my way out of the classroom, only to see Jack standing out the doorway. As soon as he spotted me, he smiled.

"Hey Grace!" he chimed, following my lead as we walked through the hall. "Hey Jack," I said softly, my eyes down cast toward the floor.

"So I'm having this party this week, down at a secluded spot of beach surrounded by trees and the ocean. There's going to be food and refreshments and stuff like that. You want to come?" Jack asked, his eyes hopeful.

Hesitating, I said, "Well, I probably have to ask my foster parents. But I'll let you know by the end of the week." Jack seemed shocked, and asked, "Your foster parents? Who's fostering you?" He seemed slightly wary to find out.

With a soft sigh, I said, "Kim and Jared." He seemed to let out a breath of relief, and said, "The Tinsel's. I've met them before. Never spoken to them, but they seem nice... Well I wait for your answer. See you later Grace," he said, and turned back around, walking opposite from the school's entrance.

Shaking my head in confusion, I made my way out of the school building confused by what had just happened.

Ten minutes later, I was standing at the edge of the school, waiting impatiently for Kim or Jared to pick me up. Finally Jared's familiar blue pickup drove up, and I walked toward it eagerly. Jared got out of the car, asking as I walked up, "How was school?" Shrugging in response, I answered, "It was eventful."

Jared stared at me like he wanted to know more, but I wasn't really in the mood to talk right now. All I wanted at the moment, was to get back to the cottage, do my homework, and go to bed. Getting in the truck, I hoped I could get the chance to do this, but when Jared got in the car and began to drive us opposite from the cottage, I knew that wasn't happening.

"We're having dinner at the Uley's tonight. Sam and Emily really want to meet you," Jared said, keeping his eyes planted firmly on the road. At once my eyes opened in shock, and I asked painfully, "Were going to the Uley's house?" Jared gave me a confused side glance, nodding his head slowly.

At once I felt my stomach do flips. There was only one person going through my mind at the moment, as the name Uley went through my mind. "Is John going to be there?" I asked, my skin turning pale. Jared nodded without looking at me, and then turned to see my reaction. Once he saw my palish skin and tightly closed mouth, he asked, "You okay Grace?"

Without answering him, I closed my eyes trying to calm the nausea that was forming deep in my stomach. If only Jasper was here to calm my nerves. Taking in a deep breath, I looked at Jared with a weak smile, "Yeah Jared... I'm just nervous."

Jared didn't seem to buy it, but he shrugged it off and turned his eyes back to the road. Driving me to my own personal nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6

**Grace POV**

We pulled into the driveway of a nice looking two story home, which was surrounded by deep forest. A man in his mid thirties stood on the wooden porch, his dark brown eyes watching us as we pulled up behind an old looking green pickup. Jared was the first out of the truck, walking up to the man on the porch and pounding his fist like two friends would. Getting out of the truck my self, I left my book-bag behind as I walked toward the two chatting men.

The guy, who I assumed was Sam, turned to me as I approached and smiled. "Hello. You must be Grace. Kim has been talking about you for the past two hours," Sam said, holding a giant hand out toward me. Taking it, I noticed it was warm like Seth's and Jared's hands. "And you must be Sam," I said softly, taking my hand away. He nodded, and then said, "Why don't you come on in. Kim and Emily are in the living room. Just walk through the kitchen to get there."

Nodding, I walked inside, going through the beautiful kitchen into an amazingly scented room. Entering, I saw three sofa's put in a slight semi circle, with two recliners on each end. A modern sized T.V sat on a nice entertainment center, on the wall pictures of different colored wolves hung. Some of these pictures looked like the ones in Kim and Jared's living room.

"Grace!" Kim said excitedly, and I looked over at Kim who was sitting beside a beautiful woman with three long scars on her face. With the best smile I could make, I said, "Hey Kim." Walking over to her, I took a seat in the empty sofa, and looked at the ground nervously. "Grace. I'd like you to meet Emily Uley," Kim said. Looking up, I saw the woman with the scars smile, and I gave a small smile back.

"So you're Grace. Kim told me a lot about you," she admitted, holding a hand out toward me. Taking her hand in a kind gesture, I tried really hard not to stare at the scars that went to her arm. "Yep. That's me," I muttered, a blush forming on my cheeks. She smiled and said, "I think you'll really like my son. He's around your age."

Blushing deeper, I said softly, "Actually. Me and John have already met." Emily perked up at this and said, "Oh! Do you have any classes with him?" Shrugging, I muttered, "I think I have Language Arts and Social Studies with him. Maybe another class." She smiled at me kindly, and said, "Well then you won't have any trouble getting to know him. He should be getting here soon I think. The kid had to do another detention."

Kim rolled her eyes at her friends words, and said, "That kid is never going to learn, is he?" Emily laughed, and said, "You know how boys are Kimmy. Their brains are as small as peas."

"Hey! That hurts Emily," Jared whined, entering the room from the kitchen, Sam following behind. Both men took a swift seat beside their wives, and held them lovingly. The adoration was too much, and I had to look away. Staring at the picture on Emily's wall, I was entranced by the two wolves in the photo. They both looked so real, one with dark black fur, and the other with brown fur and black fur around its left eye. That wolf caught my attention the most. It was shorter than the other wolf, and more beautiful. And what was barely noticeable, was the wolf looked like it was smiling.

For once in my life, I couldn't help but smile at the picture in front of me. Whether this was a drawing or not, that wolf was really cute when it smiled. A hand suddenly waved in my face, and I jumped turning to Jared who was still waving his giant palm in front of me. "What?" I asked, noticing everyone's eyes were on me. Sam laughed and said, "She's just like you Jared. Dozing off into her own imaginary world like you do."

Emily and Kim broke into laughter, as Jared turned to glare at Sam for his comment. Sam shrugged and said, "Just stating the facts bro. No need to get offended."

Jared rolled his eyes, then turned back to me, "So Grace. We were wondering if you wanted to go to a bonfire on Friday night. It would give you a chance to get to know every one."

With hesitation, I shrugged and said, "Sure. It sounds like fun." Kim smiled and pulled me into a hug, obviously very happy I was going to go. Then something must have struck her brain, because she let go of me and said, "Oh! I almost completely forgot. Guess who's going to be there on Friday?"

Everyone but me stared at Kim, obviously curious to know who was coming. After a moment of silence, Jared asked softly, "Who's coming Kim?" Kim smiled widely at the three adults in the room, and said happily, "Jacob Black! He's coming down to spend time with his dad for a few weeks. And I think he said that he's bringing Nessie with him. Man it will be so good having the whole family back together."

My heart seemed to skip a beat after Kim spoke. Jacob Black? Nessie? Could it really be them? Deep, deep down inside, I really wanted it to be them. They were like family to me in that one week I knew them. So kind and caring, though Jacob did sorta give me the creeps. But no matter how freaky he was, he was funny, nice, and almost a brother to me. And Nessie was so sweet and compassionate toward me, though that might have been because she felt bad that I had just become an orphan.

All in all though, if it was the Jacob and Nessie I knew, then I couldn't wait to see them.

"Grace," Jared said, snapping a finger in front of my face. Shaking my head, I looked up at Jared saying a quick, "What?" Jared sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I swear you have the shortest intention span in the world," Jared muttered, looking at Kim with a smile. Looking down at the floor embarrassed, I said a soft, "Sorry."

Sam spoke up suddenly, and said, "I think I hear my son coming up the porch steps. Who's hungry?" At once Emily left the room, obviously going to set the table for dinner. Kim quickly got up following her, probably going to help. Biting my lip, I hesitated to follow, but eventually I got up and walked into the kitchen.

When I arrived, I saw Kim and Emily were quick at work setting the table and finishing up the delicious smelling food. Walking in, I was about to ask if they needed help, but then my eyes fell on someone sitting at the table. John sat at one of the wooden chairs, and appeared to be sending a text to that moment, I decided the living room was a much better idea.

Turning, I was about to leave the room, when Emily suddenly grabbed my arm. "Wait Grace... Could you do one favor for me? Do you mind putting silverware on the table?" Looking at Emily, I shrugged and said softly, "Sure Emily." She smiled and pulled me over to a basket full of nothing but silverware. Handing me the basket, she said a grateful 'thanks', and went back to the food.

Taking in a deep breath, I began to place a spoon, fork, and knife at each plate. The last plate I had to place silverware at, was in front of the seat John was sitting on. And as I approached his spot, I could feel his eyes on my deep red cheeks. Placing the utensil's down, I felt his gaze stick to my flushed cheeks. When I stepped away from his spot and began to walk away, John stated, "Your name's Grace." Nodding at his statement, I turned back to face him with a shaky breath.

"Yeah... My name's Grace," I said softly. "I'm guessing you're John?"

"Yeah... I was sitting beside you at lunch. I also think I have a class with you," he said softly, his milky brown staring deeply into my own. Taking in a hard breath, I whispered, "Um... Yeah. You have First and fourth period with me." John smiled at this, and said, "Really. So you were the girl hiding behind the long brown hair?" At once I blushed deep red, and looked toward the floor embarrassed. "You saw that huh?" I whispered. John chuckled, and pulled a chair out beside him. "Here... Mom and Kim won't mind if you sit down," he said, his voice amazing in every way.

Smiling weakly, I took a seat beside him, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. "Um... How are you liking La Push?" John asked, tapping one of his fingers on the table. Looking up at John with a weak smile, I said softly, "It's nice... The beach is pretty cool, I guess." John nodded, his eyes staring at me warmly. The blush that was on my cheeks deepened, and I looked at the table embarrassed.

After a moment of silence, except for Kim and Emily's light chatter, John asked, "So what was up at the lunch table today? You got really tense when the guys mentioned-" At once I knew what John was going to say, and I quickly cut him off muttering, "It was nothing. I just don't like that particular topic."

John raised an eyebrow at me, and asked, "Well no one should like the topic of vampires. Their vile creatures and filthy murderers." He acted as if he had met one before, or had an encounter with one.

"What's all the talk about vampires for?" Jared asked, entering the kitchen with Sam following behind. At once I fell quite, biting my lip refusing to answer his question. John was however a little more persistent, saying to Jared, "Grace got upset at lunch today when Will made a vampire joke." His words were careful, and for some odd reason, they were very tense. Looking up at John, I saw he was staring at me intently, along with every other person in the room.

Sam was the one to speak, and his voice almost sounded commanding. "Is there something you want to tell us Grace?" He asked, his voice careful and guarded. My stomach churned and I looked down at the table, not appreciating the sudden attention. "No," I whispered, my eyes staring hard at the wood of the table.

Sam was about to interrogate me, but Emily quickly saved the day, "Enough of that! Everyone take your seats so we can eat in peace. This house is not going to be a place of interrogation!" Sam and Jared, who were staring at me intently, gave in and took a seat across from me in defeat. Emily let out a sigh of relief, and sat beside her husband, while Kim sat beside me.

The food, which was lasagna and cheesy bread, were distributed among the table, and at once every one dug into their meals. Every one except me. Looking down at my plate, I moved the food around with my fork, only taking a small bite every once and a while. A pair of eyes were on me, and I dared to look up, only seeing the eyes were John's familiar brown ones. He eyed me worriedly, then looked down at my barely touched plate with confusion. He mouthed 'eat' to me, so I took another bite, showing him I was eating. He didn't seem to believe it though, and I saw his frame shaking slightly.

Looking away from John's furious face, I tried to not show that his anger had affected me. But deep down, it hurt to think that John was mad at me for not eating. The thing was though, I wasn't hungry. Taking a sip of my water, I tried to forget the pile of food in front of me and think about how the day had gone. Hopefully tomorrow would be a less abnormal day and Claire's friends wouldn't interrogate me again. Though I did bring attention to myself by defending Edward and his Family.

"Grace!" Jared's voice boomed across the table and I jumped, startled by the sudden outburst. Everyone at the table was staring at me by now. Kim and Emily looked worried, while Sam, Jared, and John looked ready to attack. "What?" I asked, my blood slightly running cold from fear.

Jared looked down at my uneaten plate of food and then back at me with serious eyes. "Eat Grace." It wasn't a suggestion, and I was certain that if I didn't obey him then he'd force me to see a psychiatrist. But my stomach was not in the mood for more food, so I said a small, "I'm not hungry."

A fist suddenly pounded on the table making the plates and cups shake from the vibration, and I looked at John in shock. His whole frame was now vibrating, and his eyes looked almost red. "Outside Grace. Now!" He ordered, and then jumped up from the table walking out the door in fury. Silence fell in the dinning room, and I sunk into my chair worried about John's sudden outburst.

"I'd go out there if I were you Grace," Kim said, smiling at me weakly. Biting my lip, I stood slowly and made my way out of the door onto the porch. John stood at the bottom of the steps, his fingers pressed to his temple in concentration.

With a sigh, I said softly, "Look John... I know that your worried about me, bu-" He twirled around and looked at me with sad eyes, all fury gone from his expression. He walked up the steps and stopped in front of me, his eyes looking in pain. "Why Grace...? Why are you like this? Your always sad all the time, and whenever I look at you, you look ready to burst into tears. What are you hiding?" He asked, pressing a warm russet hand to my pale cheek softly.

Pulling away from him, I looked at the wood under me and hid my face behind my brown hair. With tears I said painfully, "If you knew what I have seen, then you would understand why I can't tell you."

John grabbed my arm gently and pulled me to him carefully. "You don't need to keep this bottled up inside you Grace... Tell me what has happened to turn you into an emotional wreck," John said, and I felt his finger trail along my cheek softly. My mind returned to one of the days I had been living with Edward and his family. One of the promises I had made to him before I was sent away. _Don't tell anyone about vampires..._

Pulling away from the boy I had just met today, I cried, "Why do you even care? You just met me today. For all I know you're just doing this because you feel sorry for the orphan!" With tears I pulled away from the shocked boy, and without thinking I took off across the yard into the surrounding forest.

"Grace!" John called after me, but I kept running not wanting to face him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Grace POV**

My feet were steady on the forest floor beneath me as I ran across the earth. Tears flooded my eyes as I ran farther and farther through the darkening forest, and my breath was soon coming out in hard gasps. Images of that night, ten years ago, flooded my mind. My dead parents sprawled on the floor lifeless... The cold blooded killers red eyes staring at me hungrily... The fear inside me as the killer stepped closer and closer to my hiding place... The feeling of defeat as the killer readied to bite into my neck.

Tripping over a damp log, I fell onto the muddy ground and cried out as my hand scraped across the forest floor. Trying to regain myself, I tried to stand but lost my balance and fell back in the mud. With sobs, I curled up into a ball in the dirt, wishing that at this moment, my guardian angel would come for me. Time passed as I lied in the forest mud, and my sobs soon seized as I ran out of tears to cry.

With one final attempt, I tried to stand in the now dark forest, but my ankle gave way and I fell back to the ground. Cursing under my breath, I searched the dark ground for a stick or some other object that I could use as a crutch. As I searched the ground my hand suddenly hit something furry. Gasping, I pulled back in shock and tried to focus on my I finally focused in the end, I was surprised that I could see nothing.

Was it just some grass? Moss growing on a tree? Or was there an animal here a moment ago that had fled when I touched it?

With a hard breath, I stared up at the sky through the tree tops only to see the moon behind the clouds. Closing my eyes, I wished for death to come for me. I wanted nothing more than to be with my parents at this moment. To escape this horrid world full of nothing but pain.

"Grace!" A deep Russet voice called out to me in the distance, and I let out a hard sigh. Just once, I wished that I could have a single moment of peace. Twigs snapped around me, and I could hear more than one pair of footsteps coming towards me. Closing my eyes tightly, I tried to roll over and pull myself off the ground, but every time I moved my ankle screamed in pain. Dropping back to the ground I stared up at the sky once more, and then I pictured my guardian angel in my head. Where was he know? Would I ever see him again?

"Guys, I found her!" the same russet voice called, and I looked to the right of me seeing a dark figure approach. "Grace," he said, and it sounded more like a question than a recognition.

With a groan I tried to roll over but a hand grabbed my shoulder keeping me from doing so. "Don't move Grace," Jared's voice ordered, and before I could recollect myself I was lifted from the ground into warm arms. "Holy cow! She's as light as a feather!" An unfamiliar voice said, and I was most certain that it was because of my lack of food intake.

"Let's get her back home," Jared said, and I was soon being carried across the forest. As we began to head closer and closer to home more voices reached us, and then an all too familiar voice shouted, "Grace! Thank God your safe!" Looking up I saw John rushing toward me, his eyes full of concern. Looking away from him, I pressed my facing into Jared's skin, not even caring that he was shirtless. There was no way I was going to look into John's eyes.

"Head back to the house John. Tell the girls we found her," Jared said, holding me closer to his warm skin. John must have listened because I no longer heard his footsteps beside us.

Sighing, I opened my eyes weakly and saw Emily's yellow home come into view. Kim at once ran outside and ran over to us, her brown eyes full of nothing but concern. "Grace! You had us all worried sick," she said, and I felt her brush my hair gently with her fingers. Closing my eyes, I let out a tired, "Sorry," and then began to doze into a sleep of peace.

It was only when something warm brushed against my cold cheek that I awoke. Looking up through my blurry vision, I saw John standing over me, his eyes full of nothing but concern. When he saw my eyes look into his own he let out a sigh of relief and grabbed my hand in his. "Oh Grace! You had me worried sick," he fussed, and I felt his hand give mine a tight squeeze.

My mouth refused to open and I didn't give him the apology I longed to give him. "What were you thinking Grace? Running out in those woods alone was possibly the most stupid thing you could have ever done," he said, and his words sent a wave of guilt through me.

With sudden tears, I said a pained, "I'm sorry John," and then closed my eyes once more. John sighed and brushed my cheek softly with the back of his hand. "No Grace... I was wrong to yell at you like that after dinner. You had every right to be upset at me and run off."

By his words of dinner, my stomach growled hungrily and I winced at the emptiness in it. John smirked and said, "So now your hungry." With annoyance I glared at him and hissed, "No." He smirked at me and shook his head with disbelief.

**Third Person POV**

The waters of La Push beach were rough as the pale figure walked along the shore. His red eyes looked out across the forest nearby, wondering when he would have the one girl he longed for. He had just sent another vampire into the woods to try and retrieve the girl, and now all he could do was wait for the vampires return. But when the vampire did return, the pale figure was not happy with what he saw.

"Where is she?" Antonio hissed, staring at the approaching vampire with rage.

Dylan glared at his master and hissed back, "Well forgive me for not wanting to be eaten by werewolves. It's bad enough that two almost got me. I managed to lose the mutts at the cliffs, but it was really tricky."

Letting out an annoyed growl, Antonio turned and looked toward the ocean with rage. "I'm sorry man. I'll try again soon, but the girl is way too protected," Dylan defended, obviously not wanting to be killed by his furious leader. Antonio didn't appear convinced, but he nodded and said, "It will have to be soon. Every night I grow more and more desirable for that girl. She's the one thing I've been desiring for ten years, and I will not leave her in the clutches of these mutts."

A raw stench suddenly hit both of the vampires and they turned quickly in horror. A huge gray wolf with black spots came out of the forest line, his light brown eyes staring at the two vampires with rage. They both took off running on instinct, and the wolf growled at once, following the fleeing vampires.

**Grace POV**

Sitting in the living room of Jared and Kim's home I watched as Jared passed in front of me deep in thought. Kim sat beside me, her eyes looking worried. "Couldn't we just let this one time slide. The girl was upset," Kim defended, trying to protect me from Jared's wrath.

Jared stared at Kim in a loving way and said, "She needs to be punished Kim. We're her parents now, and as her parents we need to put some laws down."

With a weak sigh, I whispered, "I know that running off into the woods alone was wrong. I promise I won't do it again." Jared shot me a stern look and said, "This isn't about the woods Grace. This is about you carelessness and stubborn thinking. You were in those woods for almost five hours. I could understand going for a small walk to clear your thoughts, but running off for five hours and leaving us all worried sick... I'm not going to allow that kind of behavior Grace."

Kim sighed and patted my hand saying, "She was upset Jared. I did the same thing when I was younger, and I never received punishment for it."

Jared sighed and pressed a finger to his temple, then finally let out a hard breath. Looking at me, he said softly, "Okay... I'll let this one slide. But as of now Grace, you are not allowed to enter the woods unless you have someone with you. I don't want you getting lost again." Nodding weakly at him, I whispered a small, "Yes sir."

Kim rubbed my shoulder reassuringly and said, "Let's go get you cleaned up dear. Your hair is covered in dirt." Pulling me from the couch, Kim led me upstairs and literally forced me into the shower. Taking a long one, I washed off all of my stress and breathed in the steam.

Finally, after I got all of the mud and grime off of me, I stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror. That was when I saw how sickly I actually looked. My skin was so white, that people could easily pass me for a vampire. My eyes looked dead, and the shine that use to be in them was gone. And my body was so thin, that my ribs were visible through my skin. At once I felt awful for putting Kim and Jared through all of this. They were both probably worried sick about me.

Getting dressed in the P-Jays Kim had laid out for me, I walked out into the hall and at once was greeted by small arms. "You idiot! What were you thinking running out there in the woods? Do you have any idea how stupid you are?" Claire shouted, shaking my shoulders with rage. "You had me and the others worried sick!"

Looking at her in shock, I said softly, "You were worried? You barely know me."

"Of course I was worried! You're my friend! Last time I checked friends care for one another!"

Closing my eyes, I looked toward the ground feeling a wave of guilt flood through me. "I'm sorry I worried you Claire," I said, my eyes beginning to water. Never before had I felt upset for upsetting another person. But with Claire... She was almost a sister to me.

"Guess I'll forgive you for now. But you owe me a sleepover. So get your butt in your room and lets get to painting the nails."

Kim suddenly came up and said, "Lights out at midnight girls. It is still a school night, and after today Grace will need some rest."

Claire sighed, but then she said, "Okay Kim... No staying up past midnight." Before Kim could say anything else, Claire grabbed my hand and then pulled me into my room. Closing the door behind her, she grinned and said, "Now it's time for some fun!"

**Jared POV**

Sitting at the kitchen table, I stared at the adoption papers in front of me that were due in four more days. Kim had already signed them, too excited to even care if this girl was the right one. My hand hovered over the pen however, and I wasn't sure whether to sign or not. My mind went back to the day that Kim had lost the baby... She was so devastated by the whole thing, and at that moment I had wished for us to have a daughter. But now... Now I wasn't so sure that it was a good time.

Or that Grace was the right one...

Sighing, I looked over at Grace's book bag that I had previously brought in. Something was sticking out of the top pocket, and I stared at it in confusion. Reaching for it, I pulled out a leather sketch book that had Grace's name on it. I'd remembered Grace telling us the other day that she liked to sketch. Curiosity got the best of me, and I opened it slowly. Looking on the first page, I saw a very good self-portrait of Grace and was shocked to see she had drawn herself with a smile.

Turning the pages, I saw sketches of flowers and animals, bugs and clouds, people and buildings... But then something caught my eye. In the back of the book were sketches of a boy. A vaguely familiar boy...

Looking closely at the painted picture, I stared hard at the messy bronze haired boy, with piercing gold eyes. At once I finally understood. I understood why she overreacted when the guys brought up the whole vampire thing. She had met one. And not just any vampire... Edward Cullen! The vampire who had stolen Jacob's girlfriend and sucked her soul out. The vampire who had broken our pack apart for years!

At once I slammed Grace's book shut and jumped up from the table. Feeling my whole body shake with rage I yelled to Kim, "I'm going to Sam's!" She had no time to respond as I ran out of the kitchen, down the porch, and into the dark forest- the sketchbook still in my hand.

**Grace POV**

Claire had just finished painting my nails, and now she was pulling out a pile of magazines from her bag. Sighing I said, "Come on Claire... Girls only read magazines in the movies!"

She pouted at me and said, "That's not true. The girls and I always read magazines when _we_ have a sleepover." Sighing, I yanked one of the magazines from her hands and opened it with annoyance. Claire giggled and then opened another for her to look at. As we gazed through the bored, badly worded magazines, Claire asked me, "So... Do you like John?"

Her question shocked me and I dropped my magazine at once. "What did you just ask me?" I asked, my cheeks turning a brighter shade. Claire sighed and still looking in her magazine said, "Do you like John? It's not that hard of a question Gracie."

Biting my lip, I turned away from Claire so that I could hide my blush. "Well he's nice I guess... A little attractive... I might like him a little," I muttered. My memories suddenly fled back to when John had told me how worried he was about me. Why was he so worried when he had just met me? It doesn't make since.

"So you do like him!" Claire shouted, and I was suddenly pulled into a really tight hug. "Oh he'll be so happy when I tell him! He'll be so happ-" At once I cut off the excited Claire shoving her off of me and jumping from the bed.

"No Claire! You can't tell him that! In a weeks time I'll be gone from this place, and if John thinks I'm in love with him, then leaving will just be harder!" I said, tears suddenly coming to my eyes. Claire was flustered by what i had just said, and with a sigh she said, "You don't get it Grace. Kim and Jared are adopting you... Your not going to leave here."

Looking at her, my eyes turned empty again, and I turned from the girl I had come to befriend. With a soft, tired voice, I whispered, "Sometimes I wish you were right Claire... But this isn't the first time I've heard that before."

"What do you mean?" She asked, her brown eyes confused.

Sighing, I turned back to her and then leaned against the wall with a frown. "It's not something I like to remember... But four years ago, in Fresno, California, I had met a girl at the park near my foster home. Her name was Trinity and she seemed to accept me as soon as she first saw me. We were friends at once and over my week in Cali we became inseparable. She had me over at her house the night before my Social Worker came to check on me. She said the same exact thing you had said, and I truly believed that the kind family I had come to know would take me in..."

Closing my eyes, I turned away from her once more, tears now flooding down my cheeks. "But she was wrong," I finally spoke, my voice broken from the painful memory. "The next day when I got back from the sleepover, my foster parents told my social worker that I was too much to handle. So she took me away from them, and I never got to say good-bye to my friend. It was one of the worst days of my life, and all the hope I had had inside me of being adopted was completely destroyed. From then on I decided that it didn't matter if I was adopted or not. I'd just keep doing what I'm told, and then as soon as I turn eighteen, I'll leave foster care and never think twice about the word family again!"

Claire was stunned by my words, and her eyes were watering once I finished. She looked at me with sympathy, and I at once looked away not wanting her pity. "I'm sorry Grace... I'm sorry you had to go through that," she whispered, and for once I heard sincerity in her voice. Before I could react, Claire pulled me into a hug and I stood in her embrace with shock.

To my utter shock and surprise though, I hugged her back. This was one thing I had sworn not to do since I left California. But for some reason, I couldn't resist the kindness that Claire was suddenly showing me. Was I going to have to face the same thing that happened to me four years ago? Would I have to leave my best friend because I was unwanted by these people too?

Most likely...


	8. Chapter 8

Closing my locker tiredly, I began to make my way to first period. Claire had kept me up till one this morning talking about how cute Quil was and how badly I needed to go out with John. At this moment I was beyond tired and longed to go back to sleep. Footsteps approached me and Claire's familiar hands grabbed my arm. "Last night was so much fun, Grace!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly.

Sighing, I pulled away from her and said, "Yeah. It was fun Claire. But next time let's hold the sleepovers off till the weekend." Claire was confused by my statement, but then she saw the dark circles on my eyes and she laughed. "Someone didn't get their coffee this morning," she said, poking my nose with laughter. Rolling my eyes, I yawned and said, "Well sorry for not being a morning person like you."

"Grace!" Someone suddenly called, and Claire and I stopped walking. Turning I saw Jack approach, a smile on his face as he did so. Claire gasped and then I saw her smile turn into a frown. Guess she didn't like him that much...

Jack came right up to me, shoved Claire away, and then asked, "So you coming to my party Friday?"

Claire gasped and said to me, "Party! You can't go to a party! Especially one run by him!"

Jack turned to Claire with an annoyed look and hissed, "When did you become Gracie's mom, Claire?"

Claire glared hard at Jack and said, "Grace is off limits Jack! She's way out of you and your friends league!"

Jack turned back to me suddenly, his eyes slightly annoyed, "What do you say Grace? You coming or what?"

Biting my lip I whispered, "Uh... I haven't asked my foster parents yet. I never got a chance yesterday." Jack seemed upset by this, but then he sighed and said, "Well I need to know by tomorrow, so please ask today. We'd really like you to come." With that Jack left Claire and I; Claire watching him go with narrow eyes. When he was out of hearing distance, Claire turned to me and yelled, "Are you crazy?"

Wincing, I turned away from her and said softly, "I don't see the big deal. He seems like a nice guy."

Claire stared at me with disbelief and then she said, "Nice guy? He's a drug addict, an alcoholic, and he's slept with more girls than I can count!"

Shrugging, I said, "Well I haven't even told him I'd come yet, so I don't see the big deal."

Claire slapped her forehead in disbelief and then yelled, "You don't get it Grace! You can't trust this guy! He's nothing but trouble!"

"Who?" A voice asked behind Claire and I, and we both jumped in shock. Turning, we saw John, Will, Chris, Donna, and Cat approach us with questioning eyes. Claire grabbed my arm and pointed to me saying, "Jackson Richards invited Grace to a party Friday! I think she's planning on going!"

Everyone's eye's looked at me and I shrunk from all their gazes. "No! Absolutely not!" John yelled, crossing his arms and shaking with fury. Will and Chris nodded in agreement and I sighed. "I never said I was going people!" I cried, pulling my arm out of Claire's.

Will and Chris relaxed at my words, but John remained tense. "You better not Grace! Last thing you need is to be around guys like that."

Letting out a hard sigh, I turned from them and said, "Relax guys... I'm not going to the party. It's the last thing on my mind at the moment." Claire seemed to relax at this, but John didn't appear convinced. "I swear John... I won't go," I said, trying to convince him that I cared less about Jack's party. Finally John cooled down, and his hard eyes turned soft. Smiling at me he said, "Thank you, Grace."

Managing to get away from my anxious friends at last, I made it to first period. Taking my seat, I waited for Mr. Rossin to start class, and I was more than aware when John entered, his brown eyes staring at me intently. As he took his seat in front of me, I let out a hard breath glad that he was no longer looking at me. But halfway through class, the teacher said that we could pair up to finish our work, and John immediately turned around in his seat.

Trying to ignore him, I began to do the questions about the passage we had just read from Romeo and Juliet. As I tried to talk over the answers with my 'partner', I suddenly felt his warm hand encircle mine. Shocked by his touch, I immediately pulled my hand away. He was upset when my hand left his, but I at once hid my face from him. "I'm sorry... I just don't like to be touched," I whispered, and at once went back to my work.

John shot me a look of confusion, but he didn't press the matter on. Instead he said softly, "I'm sorry about earlier Grace... You have every right to go to the party if you want. But I just want you to be careful. Some of the guys in this school are known for being pervs."

Smiling weakly at John, I said softly, "If I do go, I doubt that I'd stick around if they really did start drinking and doing drugs." John seemed to like this response, but he didn't drop the matter. Instead he asked, "So why would you want to go then?"

Shrugging, I said, "I don't know... I guess I want to be around other kids my age. I've been so lonely these last few years, John. This foster life isn't a basket of sunshine, you know?"

John seemed sad by my response, and he at once leaned forward so that his face was right in front of my own. "But with me, you don't have to be lonely," he said, and I felt his warm breath blow against my face. My heart fluttered at the feel of his body heat so near to mine, but I knew that this had to stop. It would break John and my heart if I had to leave by the end of this week.

"Please John... I'm not looking for a relationship at the moment," I whispered, and at once went back to doing my work. John sighed, but I knew he wouldn't say anything else until after class. So when the bell rang for second period, I immediately got up and left the class without another word to John. At lunch, I made sure to distance myself from him by hiding between Claire and Donna. John seemed upset by this, but I saw him hesitant to ask about my new avoidance toward him.

At last I made it to my last period of the day, and wasn't surprised to see Jack standing at the door to greet me. "Hey Grace," he said, his eyes bright when he saw me walk up. Smiling at him, I said softly, "Hi Jack." He at once followed me into the classroom and took the piano next to me. At once I began to play a few keys to get warmed up, and the whole time I could feel Jack's eyes boring through my head.

Our teacher entered finally, a smile on his face as he said, "Good morning class. I hope your all excited about the talent show next month. We've got a lot more people signed up than I had expected." He at once walked over to his desk and began to take attendance while everyone chattered quietly. Jack turned to me at once, and he said, "My friends and I decided that Friday wasn't going to workout. So we're just all going down to the beach this afternoon to hang out. You want to come?"

My heart pounded as I remembered the warnings my friends had given me about this boy. Taking in a deep breath, i whispered softly, "I'm not really sure I should."

Jack frowned at this, but then his eyes turned excited once more. "What if you call your foster parents for permission? I'm sure they'll say yes."

Looking down at the keyboard, I bit my lip and said softly, "Sure... I'll call after class." Jack grinned brightly, but before he could say anything else the teacher began class.

After the hour long class finally ended, Jack and I walked out of the room together and Jack handed me his cell phone. Last night I had taken the liberty to memorize Jared and Kim's house number, and so I dialed it slowly. Finally I put the phone to my ear and waited for the rings to stop. Kim picked up on the other line, asking, "Is something wrong Grace? You don't usually call after school."

Jack shot me a smile and I weakly smiled back. Finally I said, "Nothing's wrong Kim. I was just wondering if it would be alright if I go to the beach with some friends?"

My foster mother hesitated, then asked, "Are you going with John or one of the other guys?" Her question stunned me, and I felt sudden annoyance. Why did John and his gang have to be with me twenty four seven?

Taking a deep breath in, I said, "No... I'm going with Jack and some of his friends."

Kim went silent on the other line, but after a moment she asked me, "This doesn't happen to be Jackson Richards... The boy who was caught smoking pot in the back of the school?"

Hesitating for a moment, I let out a soft 'yes'. At once Kim let a loud "No!" ring in my ear, and I saw Jack wince as he heard it from the phone too. "Absolutely not Grace! You aren't to go anywhere with that boy. He's nothing but trouble," Kim said, and I knew I was defeated. Jack however grabbed the cell phone from my hand, and said, "Come on Grace. You really gonna let some woman you've only known for half a week tell you what to do? You deserve to make your own choices!"

Kim's shouts were still heard on the phone, but Jack immediately hung up on her. Feeling a new found nervousness flow over me, I said softly, "I should go Jack. If Kim say's no then I have to listen to her." Jack however refused to let me leave, and grabbed my arm hard. Pulling me to him, he hissed in my ear, "From now on you listen to me Gracie. And I say that your going to the beach with me and the guys."

As he tried to pull me out of the school, I tried to pull against him. The halls were empty now, and we were almost to the school entrance. "Jack, please! Your hurting me!" I cried, feeling him grip tighter on my arm; I was most certain it would bruise. He dragged me all the way out the school, across the empty grass, toward a van that was parked separate from all the other vehicles.

Three guys stood beside the van, some with piercings while others had tattoos. For the first time i realized that these guys were adults. Most likely in their early twenties.

"About time you got here. We were about to start without you," one of the boys said, this one with a southern accent. Jack roughly shoved me into the van and said to his friends, "Oh shut it. I'm here aren't."

The others laughed, while I fearfully backed into the corner of the van. I was in the back behind the seats, and I was most certain I was sitting on spilled alcohol. Jack at once pulled some rope and other tools out of a box, while the others loaded in the van and began to drive away from the school. "Where are you taking me?" I cried, tears coming to my eyes from all the fear that I now felt.

Jack slapped me in the cheek hard, and I fell limply to the floor of the van. "Be quiet! I never gave you permission to ask questions," Jack yelled, and at once I felt something cloth like go into my mouth. Being gagged, I tried to take it out but Jack immediately grabbed my hands and tied them with the rope hard. "You think this will be enough payback?" One of my Kidnappers asked, staring back at Jack and I.

Jack laughed loudly and said, "The Tinsel's won't know what hit them." My eyes widened when they mentioned my foster parents last name, and I knew at once why they had taken me... I was their payback.

Letting out a muffled scream, I tried to kick Jack in the face, but he grabbed my legs and pinned them to the floor. "Try that again and I'll break your legs," he hissed.

"Maybe we should explain why we took her," one guy suddenly said. "I mean it only seems fair that she knows."

Jack smiled at me, and then said, "Terk's right, Grace. You do deserve to know what's going on. Well it's simple really... You see your foster father was once a so called patrol officer in La Push. A year ago to be exact, Terk, Dylan, Zack, and I were forced to live with our Grandma because our dad was arrested for selling drugs. And you want to know who turned him in?" he asked, suddenly only a few inches from my face. "Your foster dad was the one who turned him in."

The van suddenly came to an abrupt halt and Jack fell on top of me in shock. Once he was close to me, I at once smelled scents of alcohol and cigarettes on his clothing. "Why'd we stop?" Jack asked, furious by the interruption.

One of his brothers- the one who was driving- said, "Something giant just leaped across the road. It looked like a horse with a long tail." The van jerked suddenly and I was most certain that something was outside, attacking it on purpose. The van then suddenly flew up, and we all screamed as it was about to be tipped over. Before the other side met the ground though, we were dropped flat and I felt pain radiate on my back as I hit the floor hard.

Jack let out a yell of pain, and then said, "Hit the gas you idiot!" His brother however suddenly let out a scream, and I heard a growl from the distance. Jack and his three brothers let out even more screams, while I lied clueless on the floor. Suddenly the back of the van where I was at was ripped open, and I looked at the entrance in horror. There in front of me, was a giant, five foot russet furred wolf. His deep brown eyes stared at me with some emotion I couldn't decipher.

Jack and his brothers were screaming there heads off, while I just stared in horror at the giant beast. And then it did something that utterly shocked me. It leaned it's furry snout forward and grabbed my shirt with his teeth. I tried to scream through the gag as he dragged me from the back of the van, but the cloth was too deep in my mouth. When he had me all the way out of the van, he gently lowered my bound body to the asphalt of the road, and then he left me.

A howl was heard only a moment later, and the van that I had once been in was roughly tipped over on its side. Shouts were heard from the inside, but the wolf ignored them and returned to me. Closing my eyes, I expected the giant dog to be taring his teeth through my flesh, but the bites never came. Instead I opened my eyes and saw the wolf was no where to be seen, but a familiar native boy stood in his place.

This Quileute Indian looked so familiar, but I couldn't decipher where I had seen him before. He smiled at me and then carefully removed the gag from my mouth. "Are you alright Grace?" he asked, and then began to remove my binds. To shocked to speak, I held my mouth closed in fear.

"Is she going into shock?" A female voice asked, and i looked up to see a seventeen year old girl, with bronze curly hair and soft brown eyes. It wasn't until I saw the familiar chocolate brown eyes, that I realized who this was. As soon as the binds were removed from me, I weakly sat up and looked at the beautiful girl in utter amazement. "Renesmee?" I asked, and memories of the old days flooded through my mind.

The guy who I now knew as Jacob, pulled me into his arms and held me to his bare chest. Renesmee smiled at me and said, "Well who else would it be Grace? Rosalie?" At once I smiled, and then I rested my head against Jacobs warm body. "It's so good to hear your voice again, Nessie," I whispered, remembering how much I loved to hear her angelic voice.

"Let's get you home... I'm sure Kim and Jared are worried sick," Jacob said, and began to carry me back down the street. Renesmee followed, practically skipping with joy as we made our way back to my foster parents.

When we finally made it back thirty minutes later, John and Jared raced outside at once. Kim came quickly after, her eyes full of worry. "What happened Grace? Kim said you had called, and then the line went dead!" Jared said, worry filled in his voice. John however stared at Jacob with fury, and I saw his whole body shaking. His eyes went to Jacobs arms, which were tightly holding me to his body.

"Put. Her. Down," John hissed, his eyes feeling with rage. Jacob's eyes shot open with realization, and then he shook his head in disbelief. "You really think I want to steal you girlfriend, John? I wouldn't dream of it," Jacob hissed, and at once placed me on my feet. As soon as my legs hit the floor however, I fell forward and Jared quickly caught me.

"How did you find her?" Jared asked, while I leaned into him tiredly. Being kidnapped can really take energy out of you.

Jacob smirked and said, "I could smell the alcohol from a mile away. At first I was only going to mess with them because they were drunk and driving, but then I smelled Grace scent and at once I leaped in to save her."

John was stunned and then his eyes turned back into fury. "It was Jackson wasn't it! That little... Just wait till I..." he was so mad that he could barely get his sentence out. As he went raging on, a thought struck me and I asked Jacob, "Wait a second. You just said you leaped in to save me... You don't mean to tell me that you were the wolf?"

Jacob and Renesmee were stunned by my question, but I knew that I was right. It was only a coincidence that if the world had vampires, then they'd most likely have werewolves too.

Jared let out a hard sigh, then said, "Well... Looks like the secrets out of the bag."

Jacob then said something too low for me to hear, and I saw Jared's eyes go wide with horror. "Grace?" he asked, and I looked up at him in shock. However I realized he wasn't talking to me, and instead he was talking to Jacob. Looking over at Jacob with confusion, I saw him nod his head. At once John and Jared let out a growl of rage, and I let out a scream not wanting them to go wolf on me. Pulling from Jared, I tried to run toward the house, but before I could I hit the ground and everything went black.

**Antonio POV  
**

With rage I hit the tree beside me and watched as it broke in two. If I had just been one inch closer to the van, I could have gotten to her before that mutt. But I was to resistant and lost my chance. And to think the girl would have never even been kidnapped if it wasn't for the lies I had told that boy and his three brothers. If I had never convinced them that Jared was the one who got there father arrested, they would have never kidnapped her. My plan had worked out so great until that stupid mutt arrived.

Walking over to the van, I yanked the door off it's hinges and saw that only three boys were unconscious in there seats. The other boy in the back of the van was shaking his pants off from fear. At once I was ready to pull out my plan. I would just get a few followers to help me distract the wolves... Then Grace would be mine.

Walking to the back of the van, I noticed that it was open and smirked. The boy was shocked when he saw me, and he said, "You! You said that none of us would be harmed if we kidnapped this girl!" His head was bleeding slightly, and I inhaled the sweet scent with a sigh. Smirking at the boy, I said, "When did I ever make that promise?" The boy was stunned, but before he could speak I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him from the van. He screamed at my touch, but I was already dragging him across the road, through the forest, and back to the cave me and Dylan were staying at.

Finally arriving at the cave, I dropped the terrified boy to the ground in front of Dylan. "Dylan... meet Jack. Jack... meet Dylan. He'll be working with us now," I said, and I saw Dylan smirk at my words.

Jack at once stood from where I had dropped him, and I saw his eyes full of fear. "Wha-what are you going to do to me?" he asked, stepping away with horror. Grinning at him, I said, "Trust me. You'll find out soon."

Before he had time to understand my words, I rushed forward and bit him in the arm. He fell forward at once and began to scream in pain as the fire ate at his body. "Just three more days Jack. Three more days and you'll be a new born, while I have my chance to take Grace as my own," I said, and I couldn't wait to make it happen.


	9. Chapter 9

The first thing I noticed when I began to regain my consciousness was that my head was in undeniable pain. The next thing I noticed, was that my body was aching in every place and I was most certain that I had broken something somewhere. And finally the last thing I realized, was that I was on a soft surface and voices were in the background.

"…We've searched the woods. There's no sign of a vampire anywhere. It's almost like he knows were searching for him or something," a husky voice said, and I was sure that it sounded like John's.

A female voice then spoke, saying, "Did you search the forest of Forks yet? He could be hiding out past the border."

A sigh escaped someone and they said, "You know we can't do that now. The Cullen's came over night. The treaty's back on unless they say otherwise."

My hearing began to come more into focus and soon I could make out who was speaking. Jacob spoke this time, saying, "The Cullen's are searching the woods anyway. They want to catch this monster as much as we do."

John growled and said, "Oh yes! Because they care about Grace as much as we do?"

This time Jacob growled, and I heard him hiss, "You know nothing John. If it wasn't for the Cullen's, you wouldn't have your imprint right now."

My eyes finally managed to open, and when they did I saw Jacob and John glaring daggers at one another. Feeling my body ache as I tried to move my head, I let out a groan which alerted everyone in the room. Kim rushed over to me from the other couch in the living room and said, "You're finally awake Grace. You had all of us worried."

Jared, who was now standing between Jacob and John said, "You had a nasty fall. How's your head?"

Without realization, I reached up and touched my head only to feel it sting in pain. Wincing, I quickly pulled away and said, "Ow." Jacob and Renesmee sighed when they saw I was okay, but Jared and Kim were staring at me worriedly.

"You really need to be more careful, Grace," Jared said, his eyes full of concern. "You could have really gotten hurt."

At once I felt guilty for worrying Jared and Kim, and so I said, "I'm sorry."

John at once came over to me and gently caressed my cheek in his hand. "There's nothing to be sorry about Grace. I was the one who frightened you," he whispered. Sitting up, I wanted to protest, but before I could my stomach let out a growl to show I was hungry. Every one in the room turned to me and Kim asked, "Do you want something to eat dear?"

Biting my lip, I shook my head and said, "No… I'm not hungry."

To my utter surprise, John wasn't the one to get angry this time… It was Jared.

"No Grace! I'm not taking anymore of your not hungry crap! You haven't eaten a full meal the whole time you've been here! I'm not going to let you keep starving yourself just because your so called 'Guardian Angel' hasn't returned yet!" Jared yelled, and I shrunk back in fear.

Then it hit me… He knew about my guardian angel! He knew about Edward! But how?

And then everything came to me at once. "You took my sketch book!" I cried, jumping up at once in fury. Jared glared at me and said, "Don't use that tone with me Grace. I'm your foster parent! And soon I'll be your official guardian!"

Before I realized what I was about to say, I blurted it out because of my rage. "Well I don't want you to be my guardian!"

At once Jared stopped his yells, his face shocked by what I had just said. Kim's eyes began to tear up as she took in the words I had just spoken. My heart at once filled with guilt… What have I done?

Renesmee and Jacob were watching me with shocked eyes, and John was completely silenced by what I had said. At once I turned and took off through the house, out across the yard, and into the forest. My head was splitting in pain, but I couldn't turn back. Not after everything I had just said.

I may have just lost my chance of having a real family…

With tears, I raced through the forest not daring to look back at what I had done. So many people were hurt now, and I was the cause of it all. My heart ached just remembering the pained faces of my foster parents.

As I continued to wonder through the forest, I soon couldn't take the pain any longer and I fell to the forest floor on my knees. "What have I done?" I sobbed, and pressed my face to my hands. Sobbing loud, I let out all the pain I had held within me. At this moment, I wanted to end everything… Forget about all of this and not have to deal with anymore pain.

Hours passed and darkness soon closed around me in the dark forest. My sobs had come to a silence a long time ago, and my stomach was in more pain than it had ever been before. My body grew weak as I tried to stand from where I had been seated for hours, and I at once fell to the ground in pain.

It was only when I lied there on the wet forest floor, that I felt something warm press against my arm. Jumping up from where I lied, I stared at whatever was next to me in horror, only to find myself stare into the deep brown eyes of a giant brown wolf with a black spot around the eye. It was the one from the picture in Emily's house.

"John?" I asked, looking at the familiar brown eyes I had come to love so much. John barked and licked my cheek making me shriek from the slobber. "Ugh! John! Don't do that," I said, wiping the slobber from my cheek.

John then sat beside me, his furry tail wrapping around my cold body. He rested his head on my lap and I lightly patted it with gentle strokes. "Oh John… What have I done?" I asked, pressing my face to his muzzle.

John wined and I felt him nudge me slightly. Pulling from him, I patted his head and whispered, "I can't believe how stupid I was… I may have just lost my one chance of having a family." Jared whimpered beside me, and I felt him press his nose against my arm to comfort me. Sighing, I lied back in the dirt and stared up at the trees. Why did life always have to be so difficult?

"Grace?" My eyes looked to the right of me, and I saw Renesmee standing at the edge of the trees. "You mind if I sit with you?" she asked, staring at the spot beside me.

Sitting up, I muttered a "sure," and then scooted over so that I was closer to John. Nessie approached me and gracefully sat beside me in the forest. As we sat there for a moment of silence, Nessie stared out across the forest with a smile.

"I remember running around this forest with Jacob and the pack when I was younger. We had so much fun in those days," she said, smiling as she remembered her past.

Unsure on what to say, I just gave her a nod and then patted Johns muzzle softly. It was odd how me being beside a werewolf didn't freak me out, but I guess if I could survive with Vampires then I could survive with werewolves as well.

"Look Grace," Renesmee began, twirling her hair nervously. "My dad is really worried about you. Jacob's told him about your anorexia, and about how you've become depressed and all… Well dad really wants you to be yourself again. Your not the same girl you were ten years ago."

At her words I couldn't help but burst into laughter. John and her both jumped and stared at me in shock as I laughed for no apparent reason. After a moment, I stopped and shook my head with a hard smile.

"What did I say?" Nessie asked, her eyes confused.

Rolling my eyes, I stood well aware that as soon as I did John's warmth left my body. "Oh please Nessie! Why in the world would Edward be worried about me? He sent me away! I was just some orphan that he didn't want! Some stupid, filthy nobody."

Renesmee looked ready to cry and she said softly, "That's not true Grace… Dad wanted you. But if the Volturi found out that there was a human among us then they would have killed you. Father only did what was best for you."

Sighing, I looked away from her and sat back down pulling my knees tightly to my chest. John whined when he saw the distraught on my face and licked my hand to try and cheer me up. A small smile spread across my mouth, but then it disappeared.

Suddenly a loud howl rang in the air, and John jumped up from the forest ground immediately. Nessie tensed and I saw her staring out across the forest. "Stay here Grace," Nessie said, and then jumped up and ran out of sight through the forest. John growled and at once came to my side to protect me. Leaning against John in fear, I asked shakily, "What's going on?"

A twig snapped alerted the both of us, and I turned with horror, only to see Nessie back. "My Uncle accidentally crossed the boarder when he was chasing after the nomad. Sam's furious, but Jared's trying to calm him down. Their negotiating at the moment," she said, looking out at the woods worriedly.

"Did they catch him?" I asked, my voice shaking from fear.

John whined and licked my cheek trying to tell me that everything would be alright. Looking at him, I nodded and said, "I know you'll protect me John. It's just I don't want to see this nomad. Everything that happened to me ten years ago has been forgotten. I really don't want my memory to come back."

Just at the thought a flash back came of me cowering in fear as the monster approached me with hungry eyes. Shaking my head, I got the image out immediately and closed my eyes in tears. "Let's head back," Nessie whispered, and I saw her approach me slowly. "Come on Grace," she said. Looking up, I saw her hand outstretched to me and I took it at once.

"I can't," I whispered, turning from Nessie in regret. Nessie looked at me in shock and asked softly, "Why not?" John whined touched my arm with his nose.

"I said the worse thing I could to them Nessie. I told them I didn't want them to adopt me. Now they'll never except me in their family," I said, tears beginning to fall down my cheeks.

"You don't know that," a voice said behind me, and I turned at once in utter shock.

Jared stood there, his worried eyes relieved when he saw I was alright. Looking down from him, I said, "But I said-"

"I'm aware of what you said Grace. But I also know that you only said those things because you were mad at me… And you had a right to be. It was wrong of me to take your sketch book without permission, and I'm sorry about that," he said, his eyes sorry.

Shaking my head in disagreement, I said, "But I had no right to say that to you! You and Kim have done so much for me, and I ended up treating you like crap in the end. I don't deserve to have an amazing family like you." Tears were beginning to cloud my vision, and John whimpered beside me when he saw them.

Jared was unfazed however, and he at once came toward me and pulled me into a hug. His warm embrace made me cry even more by just the thought of him caring for me. "But we deserve to have an amazing daughter like you Grace," he whispered.

"Aw… How touching," a voice said in the distance. At once John growled and came in front of me ready to defend me. Nessie gasped and at once came over to me, ready to help if it was needed. A vampire suddenly stepped out of the trees, his pale skin translucent by the pale moon light.

Jared stepped forward and hissed, "What do you want leech?" John growled in response and took a step forward ready to attack if necessary. "Oh, nothing much… I was just in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by to leave you a message."

Jared glared daggers at him, while I stood and watched the vampire fearfully. "Antonio wants me to tell you, that if you don't surrender Grace to us soon, then your pack is going to be going through hell," he said, his red eyes full of fire.

"No," I whispered, my eyes fearful for the pack more than anything else. They were like family to me now. Nessie at once pulled me into her arms and hissed, "You'll never take Grace from us you monster!"

The vampire let out a hard laugh and then hissed, "Oh… is that so? Well Antonio will be truly upset to hear that."

John suddenly charged forward without warning and got ready to attack. "NO!" I screamed, and ran forward to stop John. Nessie grabbed me however and pulled me back restraining me. With horror, I watched as John grabbed the monsters arm and tried to rip it off. The vampire however punched John making him fly across the forest into a tree.

"Help him!" I cried, fighting against Nessie as I watched the boy I had grown to like get tossed like a toy. The vampire laughed and yelled, "Is that all you got mutt! You're weak!"

John growled and at once charged again head butting the vampire and forcing him to fly back and hit a tree, snapping it in half. The vampire was on his feet in the blink of an eye though, and before I realized it, John was thrown across the forest again. Jared at once ran off into the woods, and seconds later a tall brown haired wolf came out of the forest.

Soon the two wolves were fighting head to head with the fearful vampire. "Let's go Grace!" Ness yelled, and at once she pulled me to her and forced me on her back. "Hang on," she said, and I at once wrapped my arms around her neck. She then took off through the woods, and my eyes only could see the blur of the trees as she ran.

Finally she stopped, and I held onto her still horrified by the run. "Renesmee!" A female voice cried, and I slowly released my hold on Nessie's neck. Falling to the ground below, I felt my heart pounding immensely from the run that I had just experienced.

"Sorry Grace," Ness said, helping me up from the ground and helping me stay stable. Looking up, I nodded at Nessie and then looked at the woman standing beside her. This woman had amazing brown hair, with bright gold eyes. She looked so much like Renesmee, and I knew at once who it was.

"Bella!" I cried, and at once flew forward and hugged her. She laughed and pulled me into a hug as well, saying softly, "Hey Grace… I'm glad your okay."

"Let's go inside," Nessie said, gesturing toward Jared's house where we had returned. Nodding, I began to follow Nessie back inside, when suddenly Nessie stopped and said, "Wait! What are you and the family doing over the boarder?"

"I can answer that!" A chirpy voice chimed skipping out of the house in a fluid motion. A small girl, with spiky black hair and a pixie like personality approached us. "Alice?" I asked, my heart warming up at the very thought.

"Hey Grace! You've grown so much!" She said, and at once pulled me into her arms giving me a hard hug. Laughing, I hugged her back and said, "And you haven't grown a bit." Alice laughed with me and then pulled away.

"Now where was I…" she began, "Oh yeah! So after Emmett crossed the boarder, Sam and us came up with a negotiation. We decided that as long as this nomad is after Grace, then the treaty is being placed aside. So we're being welcomed to help the wolves trap down this creep in the La Push territory. That way we don't have complications in the future."

Nessie sighed in relief and said, "Thank goodness. I thought I'd have to walk home everyday."

"NO! Absolutely not!" A shout was heard from inside, and Bella, Ness, Alice, and I turned towards the door in shock. At once the four of us went inside where we found Emmett on the floor, his face full of shock. Above him was a furious Sam who was being restrained by Quil and Embry Call.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, confused by the commotion.

Every eye turned to us, while Emmett got off of the ground with a look of fury. "Emmett was just giving a suggestion Sam. You know we'd never put Grace in dangers way," a mother like voice said, and I looked over at a familiar vampire with a very kind complexion. "Esme…" I whispered, my heart full of joy at the woman who I had once saw as a mother. She turned to me when hearing her name, and a bright smile came on her face. "Is that you Grace! You've grown!"

Smiling widely, I ran across the room and embraced her tightly. She hugged me back and brushed my hair saying, "You look so beautiful Grace."

"What did you just say?" a sudden shout yelled through the house, and I looked up in surprise to see John enter the house glaring daggers at Emmett.

Finally having it with all the hostility, Renesmee stepped forward and said, "Can someone please tell me what happened?"

Emmett rolled his eyes and said, "I was only telling them, that if we used Grace as bait then we'd be able to catch these guys a whole lot easier… It was just a suggestion."

"Guys?" I asked, my face suddenly going pale. There was more than one?

But then I remembered what the vampire had said in the forest before John attacked. '_Well Antonio will surely be upset to hear that…' _

I gasped once I thought of this, and I felt my blood run cold. Two vampires were after me! Esme squeezed me tightly whispering that everything would be okay. "We won't let anyone hurt you honey. Rosalie, Jasper, and Edward are circling the forest right now with the rest of the pack. The nomads won't have any way of getting to you."

When Esme said Edward, I felt as if time had suddenly stopped completely. He was here…? My guardian angel was here? My eyes began to widen at the very idea of my guardian angel being nearby somewhere. I could even feel my heart slow at the thought that my savior was out there.

"OH! Grace needs to eat. She hasn't had anything all day!" Alice exclaimed, and immediately grabbed my arm pulling me into the kitchen. As soon as we entered Sam's dining room, my stomach let out a grumble and I winced from my hunger. Alice sat me down at the table excitedly and asked, "What can I make you Grace? Sandwich… Eggs… Cereal…?"

Sighing, I shrugged and said, "I'll just eat an apple. It's no big deal."

Alice turned to me with shock, and then she said, "So it's true! You aren't eating!"

Letting out a groan, I said, "I just said I'd eat an apple! That's eating last time I checked!"

Alice was about to deny it, but then she let out a hard sigh and got me an apple from the fridge. Tossing it to me, she watched as I bit into it, and then she broke out into talk about how happy she was to see me. She told me of all the adventures she had been on with the family, and then she spoke of how much she had been dying to see me over the last ten years. As she spoke however, I refused to look at her, remembering that they didn't want me, and they had left me to rot alone in this cold cruel world.

Alice stopped as she began to talk about how badly she wanted to take me to the mall when she saw the sadness on my face. Looking away from her, I said, "Well I'm happy that you've had a great life Alice…"

There was a silence for a moment, until Alice said softly, "You know we didn't have a choice Grace… You would have been in danger if we hadn't have given you to social security."

Letting out a hard breath I said, "But why? Because some clan known as the Volturi would get me! What's the difference between them and what's happening to me now?"

Alice seemed to think it over for a moment, and then her mind finally came up with an answer. "Because we don't have the power to kill the Volturi, but we _can _kill a couple of nomads. It's the way our rules are Grace. If we had kept you, then the Volturi would have found out and they would have either killed you or turned you. We only wanted what was best for you."

Sighing, I took a bite out of my apple no longer wanting to argue with Alice. It would get me no where because she'd win in the end.

Time went by and soon I was down to the core of the apple. Finally finishing it, I tossed it in the trashcan across the room, and then placed my head on the wood of the table. My mind wandered back to the fight that John and Jared were in with the nomad. I remember seeing John enter the room, but Jared hadn't returned. Hopefully he was okay.

"So I was thinking…" Alice began, sitting in the seat beside me with a sudden grin on her face. "How's about you… Me… Mall on Tuesday? I'm dying to take you shopping! Of course a mutt can come along if you feel comfortable."

Taking in a hard breath, I thought it over for a moment and then decided there was no point in hating Alice at the moment. If I didn't spend time with her now, then I'd never get to spend time with her. "Yeah Alice… That sounds gre-"

But at once I stopped, remembering that in three days my social worker May would be here to meet with Jared Kim and I.

"Oh. I can't Alice. My social workers coming to see if Jared and Kim want to adopt me," I finally said, and my mind began to question how this Tuesday would go.

"Darn. That's a party pooper," Alice mumbled, her face truly full of disappointment. I at once felt bad for making her upset, and I went to apologize but Alice must have seen it because she said, "Don't apologize Gracie. That's much more important than a shopping trip."

Sighing, I said, "True. But it's really going to stink… I was really beginning to enjoy La Push. All though my vampire stalkers really put a damper on some things."

Alice held a confused face and was about to ask why, but by the look of my pained face she changed her mind.

The phone suddenly rang, and Sam rushed into the kitchen grabbing it off it's holder. As he spoke into it I began to munch my apple once again trying to not think about Tuesday.

"Grace?" Sam asked, looking at me for a moment. "It's for you," he said, holding the phone out towards me. At once I stood and took the phone from him, then hesitantly I spoke into it, saying softly, "Hello?"

Claire's voice came on the line saying, "Grace! It's so good to hear your okay! I was so worried about you when I found out Jack and his brothers had tried to take you. And then the cops found the van on the side of the road with three unconscious guys! I was so concerned that they had dumped you off. But luckily Kim called-"

"Wait a second!" I said, cutting Claire off at once. "You just said three guys… Where was the fourth?"

Claire went silent for a moment, then said softly, "Their wasn't a fourth Grace… Are you saying someone was missing."

"Did they identify the unconscious boys?" I asked, the phone beginning to shake in my hands.

"I'm not sure," she began. "Wait! It's on the news again. Go to channel nine!"

At once I dropped the phone on the table, shocking both Sam and Alice. Then I ran into the living room and rushed toward the T.V shoving a few werewolves out of the way.

"What is it Grace?" Bella asked, confused by what I was doing. Without answering, I turned on the T.V and immediately changed the channel. The screen at once turned to a reporter, who was speaking beside an upside down car. A caption on the top left of the screen said, 'Footage from Yesterday at 3:47pm'.

"… three unconscious boys inside. One of the boys became conscious after the first hour of medical care and spoke of a giant animal jumping across the road. He described it as being a giant furry beast with sharp teeth. Environmentalists and locals are speaking of it most likely being one of the wolves that are known in the area. Others say that it was probably just a deer. Now all three are awake and have informed authorities that a fourth party had been with them. As of now a search for Jackson Richards, 16, is being enforced to the forest of La Push Reservation. Any one with news of this young mans whereabouts please call the number below… "

My body was shaking immensely and I placed a hand over my mouth in horror. He was just there… He was unconscious in the back of the van, right where we had left him. How could he have just vanished from the spot in a few moments before help arrived. There was no way he had gotten that far without someone…

And then a thought hit me like a crashing wave. What if someone did help him out of the car? What if he was forcibly dragged through the forest and taken to unknown whereabouts?

What if vampires had gotten him, and it was all my fault?

"Poor boy! I hope he's alright," Esme said, her mother like instincts kicking in. "We'll go help with the search," Quil said, and pulled Embry out the door. Sam, Jared, Bella, and Alice were all staring at me with confusion, while Nessie looked concerned by my pale features.

"They have him," I whispered. "They have Jack…"


	10. Chapter 10

Sitting in the living room I watched as the werewolves and vampires conversed around me. It had been a day since I found out Jack had been kidnapped, and I felt responsible. What if the vampires were torturing him? What if they killed him? The thought made me want to cry.

Even if Jack had tried to hurt me, he was still a human being.

"It's all my fault," I muttered, looking down at my blue jeans with pained eyes.

John immediately sat beside me and held me close to him. "Don't say that... None of this is your fault."

Sighing, I pulled my knees close to me and hugged them for comfort. Tears filled my eyes. Why couldn't I just go one day without causing people danger? My heart ached at the thought that my parents death was my fault.

"Any word from Edward?" Bella suddenly asked Alice, as they stood against the wall a slight distance from the werewolves. Alice shook her head.

"I'm having such a hard time seeing anything with all these vampires. The last I saw of Edward, he and Carlisle were following a trail that led east. Rosalie and Jasper are following another trail leading south. With two vampires they had no choice but to split up," Alice answered.

When she spoke this, I sort of smiled. Even now Edward was still trying to protect me.

Chris and Will, who I learned were werewolves as well, came over to John and I looking frustrated. "These vampires are really annoying. It's almost as if they can measure our movements and tell what we're doing."

Emmett, who stood in the corner of the room, said, "Perhaps they have abilities. One of them may have a gift that shows others motives."

A gift... Edward and Alice had gifts. Alice could see the future and Edward could read minds. There gifts were amazing, but I never thought more vampires could be gifted too.

Jacob suddenly spoke from where he sat on Jared's recliner. "Maybe he just has really good hearing."

Renesmee, who was seated in his lap, looked deep in thought. "That could be,"she whispered.

"So I'm being harassed by a psychotic vampire with unknown abilities. Great," I muttered. "I'm so lucky."

Standing from the sofa, I walked into the kitchen where Jared and Sam were conversing. A werewolf named Embry stood by the door and nodded toward me. He was the new Alpha of the werewolf pack, since Jared and Sam had both stepped down.

When I entered the room Sam and Jared looked over at me for a moment, then looked back at one another. Sam nodded, causing Jared to let out a deep sigh.

Turning to me Jared spoke. "Okay... We've decided that you should go to school with John, Will, and Chris. We'll have some of the pack hidden near the school so that if the vampires choose to attack we'll be ready."

At the mention of school I internally groaned. I'd forgotten it was still only Friday. With everything going on at the moment I really didn't want to think about school. Not wanting to disobey my foster father though, I nodded and went to pack my bag.

An hour later we were at school and John, Will, and Chris kept close to me as we walked into the building. Cat, and Donna held onto their boyfriends hands as we walked, and I saw Claire glance outside to see if she could find any trace of Quil. John brushed his hand against me a few times, but I pulled away each time he did. My heart wanted to trust John, but I didn't want to miss him when I had to leave again this Tuesday.

After all the trouble I'd caused Kim and Jared, I was pretty sure they'd send me away.

When John and I eventually broke from the group and got to English I tried my best not to meet his eyes. He watched me hurt, and a bit confused. Taking my seat behind his, I watched as he got ready to sit there but stopped. Looking at me, he smiled then left his desk and took the seat beside me. A blush I couldn't fight came to my cheeks, and I hid my face.

Why did John make me feel so special? Why did he treat me with so much love and care?

Mr. Rosin came in the room a few minutes later, and by that time class was almost ready to start. When he saw John sitting at the desk beside me, his eyes almost popped out of his head. "Mr. Uley... Why are you here?" the teacher slowly asked.

John smirked at the teacher. "Trying to turn over a new leaf sir. I've met an amazing girl who's setting me straight." When he said this he looked over at me and I felt my heart flutter. Was what John said true? Did he really think that about me?

_No! Stop Grace! You're leaving soon. Don't fall for someone you'll never see again._

The teacher eyed me curiously, then said to John, "You're not harassing her are you?" A few boys and girls in the class began to laugh.

John looked hurt. "No... I'd never."

Mr. Rosin eyed him hard, then looked at me as if to ask my opinion on the matter. Looking at John, then at Mr. Rosin, I smiled weakly and said, "John's a good person. He's changed."

"Over night?" The teacher asked with disbelief.

To my surprise, I got really defensive. "Yes... People can change. John's the nicest person I've ever met. He's caring, compassionate, and treats me better than I've ever been treated," I stated.

As I spoke the words I felt them deep in my heart. Without being able to stop it, I was beginning to fall for John. I was actually falling in love with a werewolf.

The teacher let out a hard sigh, then said to John, "You still have detention though." John seemed to want to argue, but he new it was pointless. He shot me a look telling me he was greatly upset he couldn't protect me.

"Yes sir," he muttered. The bell rang a second later and the teacher started discussing Shakespeare. After class John and I made our way to my math class. He carried my books for me, which made me believe he really was my boyfriend.

As we walked, he spoke. "Did you really mean what you said back there? You really think about me like that?"

Nodding, I looked at him with a true smile. A smile I hadn't had in years. "Yeah... You really are an amazing person John."

John stared at me with surprise, then his eyes softened and he smiled back. "I finally got to see you smile. I hope I see it again," he said. When we got to math, he handed me my books and told me he'd see me in social studies.

Before he left though, he brushed his hand against my face in a way a lover would to his companion. "You're so perfect. I hope one day you'll realize that," he whispered so that only I would hear. Then he pulled away and left me to watch him go. My heart ached for him, and I wanted to feel his touch again.

It was terrible to think I was falling in love with a boy I'd have to leave in the end.

After Math and Social Studies, John and I walked to lunch together where we sat at our table with the others. Chris had spoken with Embry over the phone and told us that there hadn't been any sightings of the vampires yet. That somewhat eased my burdens.

As I sat beside John, who was chewing away at his school Pizza, I stared out the cafeteria windows toward the woods nearby. How long would I have to be protected? If Tuesday came and the vampires still weren't killed, did that mean I'd have to leave La Push with no more protection?

Sighing, I turned my apple round and round in my hand. Maybe, if I somehow was lucky, my foster parents wouldn't throw me out. Deep down I prayed they didn't.

After Lunch I went to Piano and took my seat. The room was quite as our teacher told us about our classmate Jack's situation. Immediately I prayed he was alright. He had tried to use me to get revenge but I still felt bad for him. No one deserved to be kidnapped by a vampire.

In class we each played a piece for Jack, so when it came to be my turn I couldn't do it. My fingers shook as I went to touch the keys, and I felt my heart beat increase. Ms. Grayson noticed and calmly told me that I didn't have to. As she went on to the next student I felt tears pull at my eyes.

Jack was either dead or a vampire by now, and it was all my fault.

Pressing my face into my hands, I tried to block out everything. Tried to block out the song in the background, the kids around me, and the teachers voice. All I wanted was to be alone.

When the bell rang, and I left the classroom, Ms. Grayson stopped me. "They'll find him Grace," she promised, obviously reading my mind that I was worried for Jack. Even if I hated him I still wanted him safe.

Jail was better than death.

Sighing, I nodded and told her thanks, then made my way to the school exit. John met me halfway and told me he had to go to detention, but that Quil and Claire would meet me outside.

"They'll drive you home from here. That way you're safe while I'm not with you," he said.

Nodding, I watched him turn and walk away. Why did my heart ache whenever he left?

Beginning to make my way toward the entrance to the school, I began to notice I was receiving a lot of stares. Looking around, I saw girls watch me pass with hatred in their eyes. Had I done something to them? They acted like I was a demon.

When I finally got to the front door to the school, I suddenly crossed paths with a blond who I had Math with. She stopped walking, forcing me to stop too since she was blocking my path. With her arms crossed, she hissed, "Listen you tramp. John is mine. There's no way I'm letting some new chick come to my school and steal the hottest Quileute on the reserve. Stay away from him!"

She then shoved me causing me to fall back and land on the cold floor hard.

"Hey!" Chris, and Will shouted at the same time, while I felt two sets of arms pull me up. Looking on both sides, I saw Donna and Cat glaring at the blond, while Chris and Will inched in between us. My attacker glared at all five of us, then turned and marched off.

"You okay?" Cat asked, helping me straighten my backpack.

"Who was that?" I asked.

Donna was the one to answer. "Her name's Kila Frasure. She thinks just because John kissed her once she can claim him. Just ignore her."

"Or let me deal with her next time," Cat said, punching her palm playfully. Everyone laughed at her, and I smiled weakly.

After I collected myself another moment, we began to walk out the school and down the sidewalk to the parking lot. As we walked, I asked, "So... Did John make out with other girls by any chance?"

Cat looked at me with a weak smile. "John was confused, and a lot of the things he did was against his dad because he hated the idea that he was a werewolf. Then when he turned into a werewolf he became cocky and thought he could have any girl he ever wanted. That was until he met you a few days later."

Will jumped in. "He told us how guilty he feels for doing everything he did, and how he'd take it all back if he could."

"Well that's good I guess... Though I don't know why he changed just because he met me," I muttered.

Cat looked at me with surprise. Then she turned to Will. "John hasn't told her yet?"

"Told me what?" I asked. Donna inched away looking uncomfortable, and Chris looked somewhere else.

Before Cat could come up with a reply, I heard Claire shout across the parking lot, "Grace! Over here!"

Looking over at her, I saw she was in a white pickup with Quil at the wheel. Shooting the others one last questioning glance, I turned and started to leave.

"Wait!" Donna suddenly shouted, and I looked at her mid step. "Just be patient and soon all your questions will be answered." She was smiling, and I felt the need to smile back.

Walking over, I got in the truck and waved to the others. Then they drove me back to Jared and Kim's house where a silver car sat in the driveway.

Getting out of the truck I made my way past the car with questioning eyes. This wasn't a car I'd seen in the last few days I'd been here. None of the Cullen's I'd known had ever brought this car. Unless it was... No it wouldn't be.

He wouldn't come to see me.

Walking through the door, I entered into the vacant kitchen and placed my bag on the kitchen wooden counter. Then turning, I made my way into the living room where I expected to see Kim and Jared. To my surprise, I saw them sitting on the sofa with four other people in the room.

Jacob sat on the floor with Renesmee seated beside him. Bella was talking to Kim about something, while Jared was listening intently. When I came in the room they all looked over at me stopping their conversation.

"Hey Grace... How was school?" Kim asked.

Her words went straight past me though as I stared at the pale figure standing by the window. He was looking away from me outside, his fists clenched as if he was in pain. Taking in his familiar form, I felt my pained heart ease. He was here... My guardian angel was standing right in front of me.

"Edward..."


End file.
